The Next Greatest Treasure
by AznVKai
Summary: COMPLETE - Sequel to TGT. Prosperity has descended on the land and its people including Toshiro and Momo, but before they could be wedded and crowned, they must deal with the trials and complications which include meeting the new thief in town.
1. Special Guest

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Synopsis**: Sequel to The Greatest Treasure. A time of prosperity, good-will, and great fortune has descended on the land and its people including the future King and Queen of Seireitei, Toshiro and Momo. However, before they could be wedded and crowned, they must deal with the trials and complications which include meeting the new thief in town, Hi no Tori.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Back when I was still working on the prequel to this fan fiction, I never intended to write a sequel. However, as time passed by, I thought of an idea to continue this series as you can see from reading the synopsis. Isn't that great? xD I'm not really expecting this to be better than the original, but if it is by the time I finish this story, I shall give myself a pat on the back. Yay!

Anyway, it is _**recommended**_ that you read The Greatest Treasure before you start reading this. There is a high chance that I'm going to be referencing a few things that was explained in the prequel. So, please do take some time to read it.

This story is dedicated to all my supporting fans and all the HitsuHina lovers out there. Well, enough with all the delays, I hope you enjoy reading my story! After a whole month of me planning and relaxing, here is chapter one of my 25th HitsuHina fanfiction (_25th? O_O Wow, now that's quite a lot of HitsuHina ideas I have come up with over the past one and a quarter years._), The Next Greatest Treasure.

**_~ LONG LIVE THE HITSUHINA LOVE ~_**

In case you're wondering, Hi no Tori means Fire Bird. **_  
_**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking."  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter One:** Special Guest

Princess Hinamori Momo, the future ruler of Seireitei, woke up in the morning feeling good. She believes that today is going to be a wonderful day. A smile crept up on her lips before she began stretching her arms and legs out. Getting out of bed, Momo walked up to the tall glass window and opened the curtains. Her eyes dazzled with great awe and excitement when she saw the scenery outside. A blanket of snow has fallen on the land just as planned on this cold winter December.

Looking at the cold precipitation reminds her of a certain white haired captain of the Royal Guard who was born during this time of year. _"During this time, he's probably long out of bed and on duty." _

All of a sudden, the princess felt an arm wrap around her belly and a hand covering her mouth. Momo muffled and tried to glance back at the culprit who has done that. However, she is unable to see the person's face behind her. She closed her chocolate brown eyes and struggled to break free, but her efforts were hopeless. She then heard a voice whisper in her ear, "Don't make a move princess or else you're going to lose your life."

Hinamori stopped and opened her eyes, recognizing who said that. Even though it sounded deeper and more mature, she cannot be mistaken. Besides, it's the same voice she hears whenever the notorious thief, Aisu no Ryu talks. She grabbed onto both his wrists and put them down. Momo turned around and suddenly pouted, "Mou, don't do that Toshiro!"

Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro gave a short chuckle, hugged the raven haired sixteen year old, and kissed side of her head. "Sorry Momo, but the opportunity is too good to pass."

She tried to resist the many kisses he planted along her neck, but soon gave in and started giggling. "S-Stop it! It t-tickles!"

Toshiro stopped and gave her a smirk. "I knew you won't be able to stay mad at me for long."

Momo then cuddled against him, protected in his arms. "You're right; I can't stay mad at you. Besides, you were only teasing. So, what brings you here in this early morning?"

"I'm here to wake you up, my beautiful princess. It's already ten o'clock in the morning."

"What already?" Hinamori asked. She looked over at the clock sitting on her night table to confirm the time. "Oh...it is."

Hitsugaya gave her a short kiss on the cheek. Letting the princess go, he headed towards the door. Toshiro stopped and glanced back. He said, "I'll be waiting outside, okay?"

The peach girl nodded with agreement, watched the former thief leave the room, and quietly closed the door behind him. Momo turned her body to the side and let out a pleasant smile. It has been a month since he started living in the palace, serving under her as one of the two captains of the Royal Guard. After all this time, it still felt unreal.

She and Toshiro are currently living their days together in happiness and prosperity. What's even better is that he also proposed to her to be his bride someday. Of course, she agreed to his offer with new found joy and excitement. Hinamori strongly believes that Hitsugaya is her one and only love. From the bottom of her heart, she wanted to share a future with him for the rest of her life. Now, the important question remains: when is the right time to actually making plans for their wedding?

Considering what has been going on lately, the people of Seireitei are probably still upset over the fact that the former thief from West Rukongai has become one of her most trusted swordsman in the Royal Guard. What's even worse is her reputation; it's already as bad as it is, but marrying him? If they got married, then the two of them would become the new King and Queen of Seireitei. It would cause many other royal families to question her decision.

Momo let out a sigh of defeat. Walking to her wardrobe, she picked out a few clothes, and went to take a nice warm bath. She wanted to make their marriage work out, but she knows too well that it is not an easy task to complete.

* * *

Hitsugaya stood outside Hinamori's room and patiently waited for her to come out. Suddenly, he heard a door open. Toshiro glanced to the side to see the already dressed strawberry orange haired companion come out of her room, yawning and stretching her arms in the air. "You're late Matsumoto," he commented as he folded his arms over his chest. "You were supposed to be awake three hours ago."

Turning her head to the side, Matsumoto Rangiku noticed the young captain's presence. She then placed a finger on the bottom of her chin and looked up. After a brief moment of thinking, she then placed a hand on the back of her head. She gave out a short laugh. "Oops, I sort of forgot."

Toshiro immediately shot a glare at her. "You...forgot? You do understand this isn't the first time you've done that."

"I'm sorry, but I had to stay up late to be on guard duty last night."

"If being on guard duty means drinking with the Trio Knights, you're sadly mistaken," Hitsugaya replied. "What if someone ends up invading the palace?"

"Oh, don't be such a worrywart," Matsumoto answered back. "Hinamori can take care of herself. Besides, I've been teaching her the art of swordsmanship over the past month."

"What?" he exclaimed with disbelief. "You can't go around promoting other females to become like you!"

"Is there something wrong with that Toshiro?" asked a voice behind him.

Hitsugaya turned around to see Hinamori came out of her bedroom. She is dressed in a traditional pink kimono with red flowery designs at the bottom tied together in a thick purple obi. The right side of her hair is clipped together with a peach hairpin. "No, there's nothing wrong with that Momo," he replied. "You don't have to listen to what Matsumoto says if you don't want to le-"

"I do want to learn," Hinamori interrupted. "I'm the one who asked Rangiku-san in the first place."

Toshiro stopped and blinked. "What, you did?"

Matsumoto folded her arms over her chest and nodded with agreement. "Yes, she approached me asking if I could teach her a few things," Rangiku explained. "Gin has been teaching her as well."

He then turned to Momo again. "And you haven't told me anything about it?"

Hinamori slightly tilted her head forward and apologized, "I'm sorry Toshiro, but I-I only wanted to be a little more useful."

"Useful?"

"When I was younger, all my folks ever taught me are the ways to be a princess," she explained. "However, all it ever brought me is boredom and constant danger."

Hitsugaya let out a small exhale, knowing where this conversation is going. He then continued, "In other words, you refuse to become the typical princess."

She slowly nodded with agreement. "Yeah...you don't mind, won't you?"

He turned his head to the side. "No, not really. Learning swordsmanship as a defense mechanism is a good idea, but...just be careful, okay?"

Momo smiled and gave him a big hug. "Oh, thank you Toshiro! I'm so glad you're supporting me!"

"Or maybe he just wants to see his girlfriend's happy face," Matsumoto teased, nudging the small captain at his side with her elbow.

Toshiro then gave the female swordsman an icy glare. "Uruse..."

* * *

When the Royal Guard members escorted the princess to the dinning room, they met up with the rest of their companions, the Trio Knights and Captain Ichimaru. "Good morning Hinamori-chan," Gin greeted as the others gave her a short bow.

"Ohayo Hinamori-kun," Kira Izuru replied.

"Morning everyone," Momo answered back as she took a seat on a chair.

Hisagi Shuhei approached the young princess with a few sheets of paper at hand. He scrolled through the notes and then said, "Morning Hinamori, there are a few important things that need to be done by the end of the day. Today you need to attend your daily special lessons."

Hitsugaya turned to his girlfriend and raised an eyebrow at her, confirming his suspicions about her learning swordsmanship with the female swordsman and the older captain of the Royal Guard. Upon noticing his actions, the young princess gave him a hesitant laugh before resuming her attention to the short haired Trio Knight. "Okay then, what else I need to do?"

"You and Hitsugaya-taicho planned to go to his hometown for a visit."

"Eh, you're both going to Rukongai for a while?" Rangiku asked. "Why am I not invited?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Toshiro replied. "While I am away, I need you to do some of my paperwork."

"Aw, do I have to?"

He shot a glare at her and warned, "Matsumoto..."

"But really taicho, can't you ask Gin to do the work for you? Besides, he is your fellow captain."

"Even if I want to Ran-chan, there is a high chance that I won't even touch it," Ichimaru explained. "I have my usual duties to carry out too. That is why you're considered to be Hitsugaya-kun's most trusted swordsman."

"My most trusted swordsman?" the young captain asked. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

Crossing her arms over her chest, the strawberry orange haired woman pouted. "You guys are so mean!"

"Anyway, let's get back on topic," Shuhei said. "After that, you are to return to the palace and attend your afternoon lecture with your tutor."

"Hisagi-san, I already mentioned this before that I don't need a tutor to help me in my studies," Hinamori said. "Besides, I already have Ichimaru-taicho and Toshiro teaching me."

"I know that, but both of them have their respected duties to carry out. These are one of those days where neither of them is available. Ichimaru-taicho is on guard duty today while Hitsugaya-taicho is on paperwork duty. So, you just have to bear with it."

"Mou..."

"Now Shuhei, have some sympathy for our princess," Matsumoto said.

Hisagi sighed with defeat. "I know what you mean Rangiku, but we can't keep spoiling her like that. It's our job to make sure that Hinamori becomes the Queen everyone wants her to be: intelligent, gentle, and strong."

"I agree, but there have to be times where she needs to have fun and forget about being a part of the Royal Family."

Kira let out a sigh. Turning to the other Trio Knight, Abarai Renji, he said, "This issue might take a while before it's solved."

"No kidding," the red head replied. "It has been that way since Hitsugaya-taicho and Rangiku-san started living here."

All of a sudden, a hand grabbed the front of his kimono. With one look at it, he raised his head to see it belonged to the busty woman. She pulled him towards her face and asked, "So, you're saying that we're the source of your problems?"

Feeling chills run up his spine, Renji quickly said, "N-No, it's nothing like that!"

"Oi Matsumoto, stop scaring the pants off of Abarai," Captain Hitsugaya interrupted. "We'll sort the whole issue out after we have some breakfast to eat."

Without another minute to spare, she let go of Renji and began walking over to the dinning table. Placing her hands together behind the back of her neck, she said, "Whatever you say captain; I am getting a little hungry..."

"Hitsugaya-taicho does have a point," Kira agreed. "Let's eat first."

"Sure, we could use the extra strength for later," Hisagi said. "Besides, Kira, Abarai, Ichimaru-taicho, and myself have patrol duty later."

"Hn, I wonder what we are going to have," Gin said, showing a grin on his face.

Kira took a glimpse at the older captain and sighed with defeat. Despite being his subordinate for a long time, he still couldn't understand what Ichimaru is thinking. Eventually, everybody took their seats and prepared to eat their very first meal of the day together.

* * *

Wooden swords clashed into one another as the two sparring partners battled for dominance. Shortly, one swordsman over took the other and parried against the assault. Feeling the pressure, she took a step back. However, she noticed it and decided to use this opportunity to make her move. Upon changing the grip on her sword, Matsumoto swung her weapon from the side. Luckily for the young princess, she avoided the attack by ducking down.

Placing a hand and a knee down on the ground, Hinamori extended a leg out in an attention to trip the female swordsman by the ankle, but she saw through her intentions and jumped back. As she is regaining her composure, the raven haired girl got back on her feet. The two girls raised their wooden swords up in front of them, ready for another round of sparring. A smirk appeared on the strawberry orange haired woman's face. "Sugoi Hinamori, you're getting better at this."

"Arigato Rangiku-san," she replied. "If it weren't for you and Ichimaru-taicho, I wouldn't be this good right now. However, I still have a lot to learn."

Suddenly, Matsumoto put down her guard and raised her left fist in the air. "You got that right! You're still miles away from attaining the strength that your lovable boyfriend has!"

Momo raised her hands up in mock stance. "W-What are you talking about? I have no intentions of becoming as skilled as Toshiro."

Approaching the peach girl, she gently elbowed her gut as she teased, "There is no need to hide it; you're trying to stay close to him as possible. In other words, you want to become Ms. Aisu no Ryu!"

"Just when I thought about checking up on you, all I see is that you're making Momo feel uncomfortable once again," said a voice.

Upon hearing his voice, the two girls turned their heads and jumped by the sudden presence of the white haired captain standing in between them. "Taicho, don't sneak up on us like that!"

"Yeah, it's just what Rangiku-san said!" Hinamori agreed.

Hitsugaya let out a sigh and then turned his attention to the female Royal Guard member. "Anyway, judging by the mess you've caused in this room, it seems like Momo's training lesson is about done for today."

"Yeah, pretty much," Rangiku replied. All of a sudden, a thought came into mind. She narrowed her eyes at him and revealed a snicker on her face. "Don't tell me you're here to pick her up?"

"I'm just doing my job and following the schedule that Momo has sorted out," Toshiro retorted.

Matsumoto leisurely walked past the lovers and headed towards the door. "Whatever you say, Captain; stop making excuses."

The former thief turned his body to the side and gave her a fierce glare. "Shut up..."

Suddenly, they heard a thud. Both heads turned to see Hinamori has fallen to the floor on her bottom. With no hesitation, the two friends from Rukongai run to her aid. "Hinamori, are you alright?"

"Do you need us to call for help?" Hitsugaya asked, holding out his hand.

Accepting his offer, Momo took it and shook her head in response to his question. "I'm just a little exhausted from the spar. It really took a bit out of me."

Toshiro pulled her back on her feet. "Maybe we should cancel our trip to Rukongai. We can always go some other time."

"No, it's alright; I'm still good to go. I just need a little rest, that's all."

The white haired captain let out a sigh of defeat. There is no point trying to convince the girl to change her mind once she has made her decision. "Alright then, I'll take you back to your room."

She nodded with agreement. "Hai."

With that said, after catching up with Matsumoto, the three friends left the training room and slowly made their way to the princess' bedroom somewhere deep in the Hinamori Palace.

* * *

"Even after a month of living here, I still get lost in this big place!" Rangiku complained as she, Hitsugaya, and the princess are walking through the hallway.

"I'm sure you'll get used to it soon enough," Momo replied.

As the two girls are chatting away, Hitsugaya is high on alert in case anything happened. All of a sudden, something caught the corner of his eye. Toshiro immediately stopped and turned his body to the side. From his perspective, there is nothing that seems out of place. However, it is his intuition that is telling him to keep his guard up. His eyes narrowed.

"Toshiro, what's wrong?"

Snapping back to reality, he turned his head to see Hinamori and Matsumoto waiting for him. He slowly shook his head. "No, it's nothing."

"Well, hurry up or else we're going to ditch you," the strawberry orange haired woman said.

He then gave her a stern look. "I don't need you to tell me that."

Hitsugaya eventually caught up with the girls and continued walking to their destination. Whatever he's feeling at the moment, it will go away soon enough. However, by the time they arrived at the bedroom, it turns out that his gut feeling is right after all. They heard the sudden sound of glass breaking. "What was that?" the peach girl asked.

"It's coming from the late King and Queen's room!" Rangiku replied.

"Matsumoto, you go outside and tell Ichimaru to stay on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. You are to also follow his orders," Hitsugaya commanded.

With a nod of agreement, the strawberry orange haired woman left the two lovers alone. Toshiro let out a sigh of defeat. His first priority right now is to take his girlfriend to safety. "Momo, let's go somewhere saf-"

His words were cut off when he realized she's not at his side anymore. There is only one logical explanation to her whereabouts. With no time to waste, he ran to his next destination: the late King and Queen's room.

_"Don't do anything stupid while I'm coming..."_

By the time he has arrived, the white haired captain found his princess safe and sound. However, it is too early for him to say it out loud. There is a special guest present in the room, standing in front of the broken window. He has cool sky blue eyes who wore a black shinobi shozoku (ninja outfit), a long red scarf tied around her neck on one end, a ninjato (a straight bladed ninja sword) and sheath which are carried horizontally on his back.

Things wouldn't go the way she wanted if she didn't do a thing. So, after taking a short step forward, the Princess of Seireitei asked, "Who are you?"

* * *

**References**

_**Aisu no Ryu**_ - Ice Dragon; Hitsugaya's codename back when he was the notorious thief, _**Ohayo**_ - Good Morning, _**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Sugoi**_ - Amazing, _**Arigato**_ - Thank You, _**Hai**_ - Yes

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well, what is there to say? Do you like the story so far or do you dislike it? Who is the person who just barged into the Hinamori Palace? What is going to happen next? Well, your questions will be answered in the next chapter. In the meantime, please review! Thanks.


	2. Hi no Tori

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note: **It's the first of July (_Happy Canada Day! xD_) and I'm back with another update for The Next Greatest Treasure. Special thanks goes to my dear reviewers: **tlg, Samantha, Peanutbutter Princess8, Amiru-chan, AznInvasionGirl, MoonLightView, icyangel27, RebelAngel912190, satomika, KnowledgeandImagination, cool!, Neko-cheung, iamkiley, becomeafan, lil'sayuri-chan, applestoapples, chococat450, serenity095, SMILES208, **and** Kaye. Shirogane****.** Without any further delays, here is chapter two. Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking."  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Two:** Hi no Tori

The intruder did not answer her question. Instead, the person raised his hand up towards its face to see the object in his possession. After taking a close look at it, Momo gasped. The item in the thief's custody is none other than one of her family's greatest treasures that have been passed down from generation to generation: her family heirloom. "Give it back!" she exclaimed. "It's not yours!"

Soon, the figure's eyes are fixated on hers. Without any hesitation, it took out three long and thin acupuncture needles from the inside of its sash and held it with a single hand. Just as the intruder is about to launch an attack on the Princess of Seireitei, Captain Hitsugaya quickly stood in front of Momo. He drew his long sword from its sheath on his back and held it diagonally in front of him. As a result, he successfully blocked against her assault and saved Hinamori from harm. "Toshiro," the peach girl said as she watched him lower his guard.

With one glance at the raven haired girl, he said, "I'll take care of this matter."

Raising a hand up to her chest, she had no other choice, but to trust him. Besides, dealing with thievery issues are his specialty. Momo slowly nodded with agreement. "Okay, be careful."

"Don't worry; I will be alright once all this is over." Upon noticing the invader is escaping from the broken window, the young Captain of the Royal Guard exclaimed and began chasing after the person, "Wait!"

The princess let out a sigh and suddenly remembered something. "It's winter right now; will Toshiro be alright fighting in cold conditions?"

* * *

"Another success for me," he said, showing a grin under his mask. "Not even a week passed by and already I got a large handful of goods. Who would have thought that stealing from the Hinamori Palace would be so easy?"

Without any warning, something flew by from the right side of his head. Just as he was stopped in his tracks, the thief glanced back to see the white haired captain chasing after him. He let out a small hiss.

_"He's quite daring to be risking his life to capture me in these conditions."_ A grin suddenly formed on his lips. _"Oh well, let's see how long he can pursue me." _

Noticing the changed expression on his face, Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes, suspecting that the thief has come up with a way to flee from the palace grounds. All of a sudden, he watched the intruder approach to the end of the roof and leaped into the air. During the process, he placed his arms close to his chest did a double full body twist. When he landed on the next rooftop safely, he continued running.

_"Quite impressive; I would give him that much,"_ Toshiro thought before a faint smirk appeared on his face. _"However, wait until you see what I can do."_

With that, he raised both hands above his head and picked up his running pace. By the time he is almost at the end of the roof, the young captain used his momentum to implant the palm of his hands on the snow covered tiles and did a handstand. From there, he used the power in his arm muscles to send his body in to the air. Along the way, he held his knees close to his chest and did several front midair rolls. When Hitsugaya reached to the next rooftop, he let go of his legs and landed safely. He then bent his knees and using his right leg, he slid on the snow and thin ice across the roof in hopes of catching the intruder. Luck is on his side.

Just as he is about seven meters away from his opponent, Hitsugaya put his right hand under the left side of his haori and took out three kunais. Trapped between his fingers, he held them close to his left cheek and then launched them towards the thief.

The sky blue eyed intruder took a short glimpse back and noticed the attacks coming in his direction. He stopped running. Using the weight shift on his toes, he quickly turned around and drew his ninjato. With the weapon in his possession, he used to knock all the kunais away.

By the time he resumed his attention to the white haired captain, he is already a mere arm's length from catching him. The thief's eyes widened with surprise. _"Im-Impossible! How is he able to catch up especially in these snowy and icy conditions? No, that's not it; he's being too reckless and might hurt himself!" _

Just as they are about to crash into one another, at the last second, Hitsugaya once again leaped into the air and flew over his head. Before he knew it, an arm is hooked around his neck. Suddenly, his body is pulled back until he felt the cold touch of his opponent's sword against the side of his neck. "There is no use escaping from me," Toshiro said into his right ear. "Give up and hand over the princess' family heirloom, thief."

_"He's definitely no ordinary guard,"_ he thought. Suddenly, a grin appeared on his face (under his mask). "I'm glad to see that there is someone here who can entertain me."

"Entertain you? I think you're sadly mistaken." Without any warning, Toshiro placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him away. By the time the intruder stopped and glanced back, he found the white haired captain in possession of the treasure he has stolen from the palace. "I think it's the other way around."

His sky blue eyes narrowed, knowing now that he is quite the advisory.

"State your name, thief."

The intruder drew his sword back into its sheath on his back. He replied, "Where I come from, people call me Hi no Tori. It's a pleasure to meet you."

_"Hi no Tori, huh?"_ the white haired captain thought. "My name is Hitsugaya Toshiro, one of the two Captains of the Royal Guard. Be lucky that I'm letting you go for today, but if our paths are to ever cross once more, I'll make sure to send you to the dungeon."

"That's quite the interesting statement you said there, Captain Hitsugaya."

All of a sudden, both fighters heard a sound. Upon turning their heads to the side, they found themselves ambushed by a rainfall of arrows. While Hi no Tori did a giant leap back, Toshiro did not move a muscle. As a matter of fact, his focus is on the thief as arrows landed around him. The black clothed thief felt a mysterious pressure from him as if he's some sort of hawk ready to catch its prey. As another set of arrows rained from the sky, he had no other choice, but to escape empty-handed. The fifteen year old captain silently watched him flee from the scene.

He let out a sigh of relief. He managed to get Momo's stolen treasure back without too much trouble. Hitsugaya carefully slid to the edge of the roof and jumped onto the lower elevated rooftops. By the time he landed on the ground safely, the young captain is soon surrounded by members of the Royal Guard. "Hitsugaya-taicho, are you hurt?" one of them asked.

"It's alright; I managed to get out of the battle unharmed," he replied.

"I'm glad to hear that none of the arrows that my subordinates and I didn't hit you at all," said a voice.

Heads turned to the side to see Gin, Renji, Hisagi, and Kira approaching them and joining the conversation. The lower ranked guards quickly placed their hands on their sides and bowed to them. "Ichimaru-taicho and the Trio Knights!"

Toshiro, on the other hand, gave the gray haired teenager a stern look. "Yes, I'm glad to know that I'm still as active as ever despite the passing six months. But then again, you guys have pretty accurate aiming at your target."

"Who was that person exactly?" Kira asked.

Hitsugaya didn't answer right away. Instead, he turned his body to face the direction where the intruder made his escape. Upon placing his hands into his kimono sleeves, he answered, "He calls himself Hi no Tori."

"Hi no Tori?" Hisagi questioned.

"Do you have any idea who he is?" Renji asked.

"I don't know his identity, but I've heard rumours about him," Toshiro replied.

"I see."

"Now the big question is who the better thief is?" Ichimaru asked.

The Trio Knights and Captain Hitsugaya gave him a stern look. "Isn't that obvious?" Renji said. "Since Hitsugaya-taicho managed to retrieve Hinamori's family heirloom from Hi no Tori, Aisu no Ryu is the better thief."

"Better thief or no better thief, it doesn't matter anymore," the Royal Guard Captain commented. "I retired from being the great notorious thief, remember? There is no reason for me to steal anything."

"What if Hinamori-chan asks you to steal?" Gin suddenly asked with an amused grin on his face.

In response, Toshiro shot him a glare and retorted, "I'm ready to cut that throat of yours at any moment, Ichimaru."

"Hai."

"Let's head back inside and bring the news to Momo. I'm sure she's wondering what has been going on outside."

"Yes and good thing I sent Ran-chan back inside to guard the princess or else she might try to do something reckless again."

Hitsugaya let out a sigh. To a certain extent, his point is valid. "Enough with the dawdling; let's go."

"Sheesh, even to someone like me, you're so commanding."

"Oh, shut up..."

* * *

"We're back," Gin sang as he, Hitsugaya, and the Trio Knights entered the throne room to find Matsumoto and Princess Hinamori safe and sound. "What's even better is none of us are seriously hurt."

Momo let out a silent sigh of relief. She is glad to hear and see that her boyfriend and her comrades are alright. The peach girl turned to Toshiro and asked, "Were you able to get it back?"

Taking the sacred heirloom from the inside of his kimono, the white haired captain handed it over to his girlfriend. "Yeah, it wasn't that hard to take it away from the thief," he replied. "However, I let him get away."

"Oh, do you think he will strike again?"

"Probably, but don't worry...we'll know how to deal with him by that time."

"Apparently, Hitsugaya-kun knows quite a few things about the thief, Hi no Tori," Ichimaru explained.

She gave the younger teenager a worried look. "Are you certain that you know him?"

"There are still a few things I need to confirm. So, I will be taking a trip back to Rukongai to gather some information."

"I see; should I come with you?"

"I don't see why not," Gin commented happily.

Toshiro gave him a stern look, having a pretty good idea why he's allowing the princess to stay at his side. He turned his attention to his friend from Rukongai. "Matsumoto, you're coming with us."

The strawberry orange haired woman gave him a nod of agreement. "I understand."

"In the meantime, Abarai, Kira, and Hisagi shall be with Ichimaru and the other guards should be resuming to doing their usual tasks as if Hi no Tori never invaded the palace in the first place, am I clear?"

"Hai Hitsugaya-taicho," Izuru replied.

"Yes, clear as crystal Hitsugaya-kun," Gin answered with his trademark smile.

With a nod of agreement, he focused his attention to the Princess of Seireitei. "Are you ready to go Momo?"

She nodded with agreement. "Let's go."

Not long after, the young captain, the princess, and the female Royal Guard member all left the palace walls to make their way to the hometown of Hitsugaya Toshiro and Matsumoto Rangiku, West Rukongai.

* * *

"Now when was the last time we've been here?" the strawberry orange haired woman asked as they are walking through the streets. "It seemed like forever..."

"We were here about two months ago," Toshiro replied. "At the time, we were only here to rebuild the land and unite the people with the Seireitei people. This time, we're here to gather information about Hi no Tori."

"You're so stingy, Hitsugaya! Can't we have some fun first before we do our jobs?"

"Sure you do that," he exaggerated. "In the meantime, I'll take Momo with me to get that information we need. Besides, what if he infiltrates the palace again?"

"You just have to do what you usually do: be the hero and kick his butt!"

Hitsugaya immediately gave her a stern look. "The last thing I want is to get involved again like what happened this morning. It also involves scenarios that are far worse than that."

The female swordsman folded her arms over her chest and pouted, "Fine then, be boring!"

"Matsumoto, I'm warning you..."

"Well well, look what we have here?" asked a voice. "Rangiku-chan, are you causing the little shorty some trouble again?"

Toshiro and Rangiku turned their heads to the side to see a pair of familiar faces approaching them. The young captain shot him a glare. "Don't call me shorty, old man. I hate being called that."

He is a tall man with gray eyes and wavy brown haired that is tied into a low ponytail while leaving long bangs on the left side of his face. He also has facial features around his mouth and on the sides of his cheeks. For his clothes, he wore a straw hat, a pink flowered ladies kimono, which is draped across his shoulders on his gray one. Furthermore, he wore a pair of beige sandals, a long light blue obi sash, and twin expensive pin-wheel hairpins on his ponytail. "Hn, I don't remember you saying that."

An eye twitched. "Uruse..."

"Now Kyoraku, enough picking on lil'Shiro," his companion said, trying to stop the minor conflict. "Anyway, it's nice to see you both again after a fairly long while."

The other man is also tall and appears slightly emaciated. This time, he has long white hair and dark brown eyes. He wore a maroon coloured kimono with a dark faded blue sash tied around his waist and a pair of beige sandals. Hitsugaya then glared at the other man. "Don't call me that either, Ukitake. It's Hitsugaya."

"Um," Momo said. "Who are you two?"

Before either Toshiro or Rangiku could say anything, the brown haired man quickly took hold of her hand. He leaned over and gave the top skin surface a soft kiss from his lips. When he raised his head to look up at her, he smiled. Hinamori blushed with a sudden shyness. "Oh you must be the beautiful Princess of Seireitei. How rude of me; my name is Kyoraku Shunsui. It's a pleasure to meet you in person for the first time."

"Y-Yeah, same here..."

Without any warning, Hitsugaya drew his sword from his back and quickly came up from behind. After taking hold of his left wrist with his own, using his other hand, pointed his blade across the front of his neck. Momo gasped with surprise while Matsumoto made a semi-surprised look on her face. At the same time, the long white haired Rukongai Citizen went all panicky and tried to settle them down. Hinamori suddenly called out his name. "T-Toshiro!"

"Ky-Kyoraku! Hitsugaya!" Ukitake exclaimed.

In a dark voice, the white haired captain warned the man, "Don't you _dare_ flirt with Momo or else I'm going to kill you."

"Daijobou Hitsugaya, I'm not going to actually make a move on her," Shunsui explained. "I know enough to figure out that she's your girlfriend and future wife. Now, settle down and put away that sword of yours."

After staring at the straw hat man for a few moments, he finally put down his sword and put it away back into its sheath on his back. The others let out sighs of relief that no violence happened. Putting his hands onto his sleeves, Hitsugaya turned to his princess and explained, "Do mind Kyoraku; he has a tendency to flirt with girls. As for Ukitake, there's nothing really much to look out for."

The long haired man gave Hinamori a short bow. "It's nice to meet you; I'm Ukitake Jushiro."

Momo nodded with agreement. "It's nice to meet you too."

"Yare yare, do you really have to say that?" Kyoraku asked Hitsugaya.

"Yes," he quickly replied.

"You're so cold."

"Uruse, I already have enough annoying people pestering me about stuff."

It is when Matsumoto pointed a finger at herself and asked, "Wait, does that include me too?"

Hitsugaya gave her a short glance before closing his eyes and shrugging his shoulders. "Who knows..."

"You're so mean!"

"Anyway, let's get to business; I need to gather information about a certain person."

"Okay, who would that be?" Jushiro asked.

"Hi no Tori."

It is when Ukitake looked at Kyoraku and then back to Hitsugaya. The brown haired man placed his hand on the edge of his straw hat and lowered it. He replied, "Well, isn't this quite the serious case?"

"Let's head over to the usual spot and we'll talk about it over some mitarashi dango (a Japanese dumpling covered with a syrup made from soy sauce, sugar, and starch)."

"Now, that's a good idea!" Rangiku answered excitedly. "It has been a while since I've ate some food from our hometown."

"I also heard that they are selling some nice sake," Kyoraku said.

"Really? Then, there's more reason to go there! Let's go!"

As the group of teenagers and adults started walking to their destination, Hitsugaya said, "Oi, I told you before to not drink sake while we're on duty!"

"Hn, whatever you say..."

"MATSUMOTO!"

* * *

**References**

_**Hi no Tori - **_Fire Bird,_** Taicho**_ - Captain,_** Aisu no Ryu**_ - Ice Dragon; Hitsugaya's codename as the notorious thief,_** Hai**_ - Yes,_** Uruse**_ - Shut Up_**  
**_

* * *

**Author's Note:** After six months of retirement, Hitsugaya's still as skilled as ever in battle. (_So cool!_) Anyway, with the help of their Rukongai allies, Kyoraku and Ukitake, hopefully they'll be able to get more information about Hi no Tori. Stay tuned for the next update. In the meantime, please review! Thanks.


	3. Rumours

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Gah, I'm sorry for updating this story so late. I really had trouble trying to figure out what to write for this chapter and too busy keeping my focus on my other fanfiction, The Healing Heart. Anyway, thank you everyone for being so patient especially my reviewers:** icyangel27, DestinedDuelist893, Samantha, iamkiley, NeonCookies O.o, lil'sayuri-chan, AIG -d e a d, tlg, RebelAngel91210, serenity095, KnowledgeandImagination, MoonLightView, cool!, satomika, applestoapples, becomeafan, chococat450, Neko-cheung, athfdrizzle**. Without any further adieu, here is chapter three. Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking."  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Three:** Rumours

"Umai, nothing tastes better than the dango from this particular restaurant!" Rangiku exclaimed happily after taking a bite out of her food.

"And don't forget the sake!" Kyoraku added as he filled yet another small flat plate with the Japanese alcohol in Matsumoto's serving. "They're just out of this world!"

After meeting Shunsui and Jushiro in the streets of West Rukongai, everyone went to a nearby restaurant to have some dango to eat and some sake to drink. At the same time, Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, and Hinamori would get information from them about the new thief in town, Hi no Tori. "You got that right! I never get sick or tired from drinking it!"

After watching the straw hat man and the strawberry orange haired woman drink away together, Hitsugaya turned to Ukitake and let out a sigh of defeat. He wondered, "How are we supposed to do our work when these two are always having fun?"

Jushiro gave a him a hesitant laugh. "I'm not quite sure, to be honest. Whenever this happens, both of us always manage to find a way to work around them."

"Toshiro," Momo said. "Why are you asking Ukitake-san and Kyoraku-san for information about Hi no Tori?"

The white haired captain explained, "Back when I was still living here, I go to these people for help whenever I needed to get information on the families that have expensive items to steal. Before, these two would often disguise themselves as Seireitei Citizens and sneak in to get the latest word going around. Nowadays, they just hear a lot of things from all over the place and use it for their profits."

"So that's how you were able to steal successfully."

"Yeah, but that's all history," he concluded. "I don't steal anymore."

"And that's because you're now spending all your free time with your beautiful future wife," Kyoraku teased.

"Now, Kyoraku..." Ukitake said.

Hitsugaya shot him an icy glare before resuming his attention to the long white haired man. "So, is there any word you know about Hi no Tori?"

The older male leaned back against his seat and folded his arms over his chest. He thought for a few moments before a thought came into mind. He leaned toward the white haired captain and the Princess of Seireitei, replying, "Actually, we do know a few things about him. First thing of all, he first made his appearance somewhere far away in the outskirts of Rukongai."

"The outskirts of Rukongai?" Momo asked. "What important treasure are there to steal in that area?"

"There aren't any," Jushiro replied. "As a matter of fact, the shocking thing is he steals food and water from families that live there."

Hinamori placed a hand over her mouth. "Oh no, that's terrible!"

"During that time, he would steal other stuff including valuable items."

"In other words, he's pretty much known for his mischief from everywhere," Hitsugaya concluded.

The older white haired male nodded with agreement. "Yes, it has only been a few days since he came to Rukongai and Seireitei."

"Has he stolen anything from here yet?"

He shook his head in response. "From what I know, he hasn't done such a thing."

"Well, that's good to hear," Matsumoto replied, finally joining the conversation.

"It's only a matter of time before he starts doing that to the people living here," Kyoraku added, "whether they are rich or poor."

"So, the Hinamori Palace was his first target," Toshiro said.

"Then, it's safe to assume that you met him in person?" Ukitake asked.

"Yes or else I wouldn't be here right now."

"You do have a point there."

The straw hat man took a sip from his flat plate of sake and placed it on the table. "If you think about it, it does make perfect sense to target the place with the most security. If one is able to penetrate through all the traps and successfully steal the valuables from that place, it is safe to say that the thief can easily steal from the lower class ones."

"I see," Momo said, understanding the whole situation.

"So, did you let him get away with whatever he tried to steal?" Ukitake asked.

"Of course not," Hitsugaya replied. "There is no way I'm going to let any of Momo's valuables get stolen or let anything happen to her. If I'm so irresponsible, she would not hesitate to take away my position as a Captain of the Royal Guard in the first place."

"I-I think that's going a little too far," Hinamori said.

"Either way, you would do that, right?"

"Um...maybe."

The fifteen year old teenager let out a sigh of defeat. "Even if we are in a romantic relationship, it doesn't mean I get any special treatment from you."

"Eh, yeah..."

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at her. "Momo."

"I know Toshiro, but it's hard to do that to you!" she admitted. "Y-You're my fiancé and I trust whatever decision you make!"

He let out a sigh of defeat. "We went through this issue before. I accepted your offer of becoming a Captain of the Royal Guard, but in return, I want you to treat me like how you would treat Ichimaru and the others."

Jushiro let out an amused smile on his face. "You're always so serious lil'Shiro. There's nothing wrong with having preferences."

"I know there's nothing wrong, but one of these days, preferences won't be an option. If the people thinks that the princess is doing whatever it takes to save my life because she's in love with me, then they might as well try to overthrow the kingdom. They don't want a ruler who only sees things one sided."

"Of course, that's coming from the person who sees things through our perspective," Kyoraku said. "Putting that into consideration, the little guy has thought of yet another plan to ensure that he and his lover get on that cathedral together and say I do."

The white haired captain shot him an icy glare before he placed a hand palm on the table. Hitsugaya stood up from his seat and said, "If that's all you know about the thief, then our business here is done."

He turned to the raven haired princess and the strawberry orange haired female swordsman.

"Let's head back to the palace Momo, Matsumoto."

"Eh, already?" Rangiku asked.

"We have to go back because our visit to Rukongai is strictly business."

"Geez, it has only been a month since you've started working as a Captain of the Royal Guard and you're already stressing out like crazy. I think you need a nice whole week off just to run away to some far away land with Hinamori."

Toshiro just rolled his eyes and began leaving the two girls behind. Matsumoto half turned her body to the side.

"Oi Hitsugaya, chotto matte!"

However, he wasn't listening at all and soon walked out the door. Worried about him, Momo turned to the older men and said, "It's nice to meet you two, but we have to get going."

With a short nod, Ukitake replied, "It's understandable. Hope you will come back again soon for a visit."

"Hai, ja ne."

"Bye Hinamori-chan!" Shunsui said.

She turned to the older woman. "Let's go Rangiku-san."

Matsumoto let out a sigh of defeat, disappointed that she couldn't spend anymore time in the bar, drinking her favourite beverage. "Fine..."

With that said, the two girls ran out the door, trying to catch up to the young Royal Guard Captain. By the time they spotted him in the crowd, Momo called out, "Toshiro, wait up!"

Recognizing the voice he heard, he stopped, glanced over his shoulder, and waited for his princess to catch up. "Are you alright?"

Hitsugaya let out a defeated sigh and replied, "I'm alright; it's just...frustrating that issues like these are potentially endangering your safety. I-I just don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Leaning towards him, she planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for looking out for me."

In response, he cracked a smile. "By the way, wasn't Matsumoto behind you?"

The peach girl blinked a few times before looking around. He is right; Rangiku is nowhere to be found. "Huh? I could have sworn she was with me when we left Kyoraku-san and Ukitake-san."

"Never mind, she must have wandered off on her own to do her own thing," Hitsugaya replied. "Let's just head back to the palace."

Just as he started walking ahead once more, Momo followed and walked along his side. "Shouldn't we go look for her?"

"There's no point trying to force her to come with us. When she comes back, she'll get the proper punishment she deserves and that is a nice load of paperwork."

"I-I see..."

* * *

"Ara, you're back already?" Ichimaru asked the young lovers when they passed through the palace gates.

"Welcome back Hitsugaya-taicho and Hinamori-kun," Kira greeted.

Toshiro gave the Trio Knight a short nod as Momo replied, "Okaeri Kira-kun."

"Hn, where's Ran-chan?" Gin questioned, noticing that the strawberry orange haired woman is not with them. "Wasn't she supposed to be with you two?"

"Take a guess Ichimaru," Hitsugaya commented.

"Hn, is that so?"

"Yes."

Suddenly, a grin appeared on his face. "In that case, I shall go on my break."

"But Ichimaru-taicho, we're not finished with the repairs," Hisagi said.

"Daijobou, Hitsugaya-kun can take my place in the meantime. Besides, it's not like he's stupid or anything. As a matter of fact, he's as skill and knowledgeable as I am."

The young captain raised an eyebrow at him. "With that face you're making, I can't even tell whether to believe you or not."

"Anyway, I better get going and drag her back here before it gets dark."

With that said, the gray haired captain waved his infamous good bye before proceeding to leave the palace gates in search of his childhood friend, Rangiku. Once he is gone, Toshiro turned to Momo and asked, "Why don't you go inside and get some rest? Today must have been quite the exhausting one for you."

"Are you going to be alright here?"

He nodded with agreement. "That's why I'm a Captain of the Royal Guard. I have to be able to do my job."

The raven haired girl let out a faint smile. "Alright then, I'll see you later at dinner."

She leaned over and gave him a short smack on the lips.

"Don't push yourself too hard."

Hitsugaya returned the sentiment with a loving hug before he watched her retreat back into the palace building with a few guards. He let out a sigh and soon turned his attention to the Trio Knights. "Okay, let's get back to work."

Kira, Hisagi, and Abarai all nodded with agreement. Not long after, they resumed their duties to rebuilding the palace.

* * *

The door opened to reveal a dark room. Hi no Tori went down on one knee and bowed to his master. "I have come back from Seireitei and Rukongai."

"How are things there?"

"Peaceful and prosperic."

"So the rumours are true after all; Aizen Sosuke's attempt to rule over the kingdom has failed."

"Yes..."

A grin appeared on the master's face. "That's good; now, there won't be anyone to stop me from doing my own thing and take the throne that was rightfully mine in the first place! Hi no Tori, you will help me make this plan a success. Besides, your bright future's on the line."

The thief bit the bottom of her lip, not liking the situation at all. "...yes, your majesty."

"Good...then let's commence operation: takeover."

"Hai..."

* * *

**References**

_**Umai **_- Delicious, _**Hi no Tori**_ - Fire Bird; the new thief in town, _**Chotto matte**_ - Wait for Me, _**Hai**_ - Yes, _**Ja ne**_ - Good Bye_ (casual/informal)_, _**Okaeri**_ - Welcome back, _**Taicho**_ - Captain_**  
**_

* * *

**Author's Note:** Oh geez, what does the villains plan to do in order to takeover the kingdom? Who knows...you'll just have to wait and find out in the next chapter. Please review! Thanks.


	4. Welcome

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thank you for your patience especially my reviewers: **becomeafan, serenity095, AIG -d e a d, Samantha, DestinedDuelist893, icyangel27, Kaye. Shirogane, Lil' EyeCandy, tlg, Neko-cheung, applestoapples, satomika, KnowledgeandImagination, chococat450, athfdrizzle, lil'sayuri-chan**. Here is chapter four. Enjoy! **  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking." Flash Back.  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Four:** Welcome

"Rangiku-san, how do I look?" Momo asked, turning to the female swordsman who is standing behind her. The two girls are in the princess' room, helping the frantic girl decide what to wear. She is currently dressed in a light blue kimono with purple lined floral designs on it. Her raven coloured hair is half tied up in a ponytail using a large clip. Today is a special day where she has to look good.

"You look fine," she replied. "I'm just worried about you boyfriend. He's the one that needs to get himself cleaned up so that he looks presentable when your aunt and cousin arrives."

"And to think Okaa-san and Oto-san forgot to tell me about them; if I knew I had relatives in the first place, I could have moved in with them and not have Aizen as my guardian in the first place."

"Now don't say that; if that really did happen, you have never met Hitsugaya or myself."

Hinamori gave her a faint smile. "I suppose you're right about that."

She smiled back. "Anyway, let's go out and see what the future King is up to."

Momo nodded with agreement. "Hai."

* * *

"Everything's all set and ready for Queen Higashi Kyoko's and Princess Higashi Ume's arrival," one of the guards reported to his captain.

Hitsugaya nodded with agreement. "Great work; you can take your breaks now."

"Arigato Hitsugaya-taicho!"

Once the guards left, the Trio Knights and Captain Ichimaru entered the throne room. "Ara, you're still on duty, little captain?" Gin asked.

"Hitsugaya-taicho, there's still not much time left before they arrive," Kira said.

"...and before Ran-chan starts lecturing you about the importance of having good hygiene."

Hitsugaya shot a glare at the older captain. "Shut u-"

"Ah Hitsugaya!" exclaimed a familiar voice. "You're still working? Hurry up and get all cleaned up before they arrive!"

"Uruse Matsumoto, I don't need you to tell me that," the fifteen year old retorted at the strawberry orange haired woman.

"Maybe you should ask Hinamori for some help."

Upon hearing that comment, a few faces turned red with embarrassment. "MATSUMOTO!"

"Mou Rangiku-san, don't say that," the Princess of Seireitei said. "We're not married yet."

She folded her arms over her chest. "Geez, you two just had to stick with the rules. You're no fun at all. If you two don't step up your game in your relationship, you might lose interest in each other and then cancel off the wedding."

"Just to say it up front, I'm not going to do that," Hitsugaya replied.

"Oh yes, if you did, Hinamori might end of executing you."

He shot a glare at her. "That's definitely not funny; I almost got hanged the last time."

"Toshiro, you better get going now," Momo reminded him.

Remembering that he is supposed to take a shower and change into a new set of clothes, he bowed to his princess and left the throne room while the others chat amongst themselves.

* * *

"I still can't believe that you have relatives Hinamori-kun," Kira said.

Momo nodded with agreement. "Same here, but I can't help it; why did my parents did not mention about them before?"

"If only they were alive. That way, you'll know the answer, isn't that right?" Ichimaru asked.

"But reality is they're not here," Hisagi replied.

"It doesn't matter the reason why the late King or Queen failed to mention about them to their daughter," Matsumoto said. "This is a good opportunity for Hitsugaya to get the approval that he's worthy to take the throne."

"Is this really going to work out?" Renji asked.

"Of course it will; it has to work!"

The surrounding teenagers let out sighs of defeat. "It's easier said than done," Momo said.

"Anyway, we'll head on outside and be on the lookout," Kira said. "We'll see you later."

Hinamori nodded with agreement. "Okay, see you."

"Later," Renji said, waving a short good bye.

"We'll come back in to inform you of their arrival," Hisagi added before the Trio Knights left to go on watch duty.

"So remind how this all happened in the first place," Gin asked.

After placing her finger and thumb on her chin, Momo took a moment to think. She then explained, "Well, it started about a week ago when a letter is sent to the palace. During that time, I was in the middle of my morning stroll through the garden with Toshiro..."

"Oh yeah, I remember that day," Rangiku agreed.

* * *

_"Normally, I would do this during the springtime when the flowers are blooming, but seeing the garden like this during the winter can be just as beautiful," Momo said while holding hands with her boyfriend. _

_She let go of his hand for a moment to run ahead. With her arms spread out, the peach girl did a spin before stopping to breathe in the cold air. "It feels like I'm in a winter wonderland!"_

_Hitsugaya folded his arms over his chest and smiled with delight. "We can't stay out here for long," he said. "Besides, you might catch a cold."_

_"Daijobou, we're dressed well for the occasion. So, let's have some fun while we have the spare time!"_

_Seeing that he's not quite convinced, Hinamori decided to do something to get him in the mood. Walking up to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into an interlocking kiss. Though he was a bit thrown off at first, he soon closed his eyes and began kissing her back. However, it was soon short lived. When he reopened his eyes, he noticed she is not there anymore. Toshiro looked around and found the girl running away with his sword at hand. "Oi Momo!"_

_Taking a moment to glance over her shoulder, Hinamori gave him a teasing smile. "Come and get me if you want it back, oh great ex-thief, Aisu no Ryu. Let's see if you still have what it takes to steal back what is yours."_

_Hitsugaya grinned over the challenge. There is no way he is going to allow her to get away with it. "Alright then, oh Princess of Seireitei, you asked for it!"_

_So, he started chasing after the princess. He knows he'll be able to catch her. Considering that she's wearing her usual semi-formal royalty attire, he calculated she is going to have some trouble running away compared to him, who is used to wearing a kimono most of the time. Just as things are going well, Momo turned around and began throwing snow at him. Her plan successfully worked, giving some time to get away while Hitsugaya is on the ground, recovering. _

_"Hey, that's cheating!"_

_"Not in my book, Shiro-chan! Besides, you have the advantage in this game of cat and mouse!"_

_He placed a hand on his knee as a support to get back on his feet. He resumed chasing after his girlfriend. After dodging her snow assault several times, he caught up and jumped on her. The two lovers rolled together in the snow for a few times before stopping. Toshiro sat on top of her, grinning over the fact that he won. However, his attention is not on his sword. "I've finally caught you." _

_Momo smiled. "Yes you did; what's my punishment?"_

_He leaned close to her face and replied, "This." _

_Without anymore words, the white haired teenager closed the distance between each other with a loving kiss. Easily giving in to the passion, the peach girl closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around him, and returned the sentiment likewise. Several more kisses were given and received in the process as the two lovers shared their intimate moment together. It felt as if they have traveled to a distant land; a world just for them. _

_"Ou, what a pretty scene we have here." _

_They immediately snapped back to reality and turned their heads to see the grinning Rangiku standing nearby. Hitsugaya made a face obviously little frustrated that she once again ruined the moment just like the many times before. "The news better be important."_

_As he got off of Hinamori and is helping her get back on her feet, the strawberry orange haired woman replied, "Of course, it's important. As a matter of fact, it's so important that this letter is addressed to the Princess of Seireitei. It is from the Higashi Family of that region." _

_"The Higashi Family?" Momo asked. "I never heard of them." _

_"Let's see what they want," Hitsugaya suggested. _

_With a nod of agreement, Rangiku gave her the letter for her to read. _

**Dear Princess Momo,**

**I'm sorry this is sudden, but I only found out recently about your existence in Seireitei and Rukongai. I am the Queen Higashi of the neighbouring country to the east. I am also your late mother's sister. So, that means I'm your aunt.**

**If it's alright with you, I would like to visit you so that we can meet in person. We have a lot of talking to do, isn't that right? Please reply back with your answer.**

**Queen Higashi Hinamori Kyoko**

**P.S. My daughter, Ume will be also accompanying me. I hope you two will get along as cousins.**

_"I can't believe this," she finally said. "I have relatives."_

_"Isn't that great?" Matsumoto asked. _

_"Yeah, it is...Yeah, it is!" _

_As the two girls started jumping up and down with delight, Toshiro smiled with content. He is happy for her. _

_"You have to let them come. You have to meet with your aunt!" Rangiku exclaimed. "Ah, I know! Let's throw a party for them!"_

_"Yeah, we should," Momo agreed. _

_"So, you're going to answer back with a yes," Toshiro said as he picked up his sword from the ground. _

_"Is it alright with you meeting my aunt?"_

_Hitsugaya re-equipped his sword on his back and then folded his arms over his chest. "My opinion doesn't really matter as of right now. The choice is yours. My job is to make sure no harm comes to you, that's all."_

_After a few moments of thinking, the princess finally made her choice. "Alright, pass me my ink brush and paper. I'll answer her letter with a yes."_

_"When is she coming over?" Matsumoto asked._

_"Make it next week so that we can get ready."_

_Momo nodded with agreement. "Hai."_

* * *

"Oh Hinamori-chan!" Gin said as he waltzed into the throne room. "She's here!"

"Arigato Ichimaru-taicho," Hinamori replied. The peach girl then let out a sigh. Time has finally arrived to meet her aunt and cousin for the first time in her life. "Rangiku-san, I'm getting a little nervous."

"Everything's going to be alright; just keep your cool," Matsumoto replied.

All of a sudden, the throne room doors started opened. Just as the princess gulped, the three teenagers saw the person come in the room. "You just had to ruin the mood, don't you taicho?"

Hitsugaya shot a glare at the female swordsman before joining the others. "Shut up...I have to be here before the Queen and Princess of Higashi arrives to this room. Besides, Momo might just faint due to anxiety."

Hinamori gave him a pout. "Mou..."

Once again, they heard the doors open. When the four teenagers turned their heads, they saw Kira, Renji, and Hisagi enter the room. Behind them is a girl with long midnight violet hair (in which her bangs are held to the side with a dark blue flower-shaped hairpin) and sky blue eyes. She is dressed in pair of brown sandals a purple kimono with gold flowery designs. The young man beside her has short jet black hair and dark blue eyes. He is dressed in a navy blue kimono and a pair of sandals. His sword is equipped to his sash on his left side.

As they walked up to her, Momo blinked a few times. Judging from their looks, neither of them could be her aunt. The young male and the young female gave them a short bow of greetings. "I am Princess Higashi Ume," she said. "It is, on my behalf, an honour to finally meet you, Princess Hinamori Momo."

"Same here," the raven haired girl replied. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. If you don't mind me asking, where is Queen Higashi?"

"Unfortunately, my mother became a little ill and couldn't come here to meet you. I wanted to stay with her, but she insists that I go on her behalf. To make sure that I'm alright, she has sent her loyal subject, Nagara Koji to come along in my travels."

"It's nice to meet you all," Koji replied.

"The Queen must really trust him to look after her," Renji whispered to Hisagi and Kira, who are standing on each side of him. "Besides, those two are the only ones who came here from that region."

"Abarai-kun," Izuru whispered back. "We shouldn't be talking about them like this."

"Quiet down you two or else the others hear us," Shuhei said.

However, they felt stabbing chills run down their spines. They raised their heads and soon noticing the grinning face of Ichimaru Gin. Renji cursed. "Shit..."

His smiled turned wider. "You guys better behave yourselves or else who knows what could happen..."

"These people beside me are my friends."

Ume blinked. "Friends?"

Momo nodded with agreement. "I don't consider them as my loyal subjects because they're not my servants. They're the people who helped out over the years while I was growing up."

"I see."

Hinamori held out her right hand and moved it to the side. "Beside me are Captain Ichimaru and the Trio Knights: Hisagi Shuhei, Kira Izuru, and Abarai Renji."

After putting her hand down, she raised the other one and held it out on the other side. "On the other side furthest from me is my female swordsman, Matsumoto Rangiku."

"Female swordsman? Now that's a first..."

She nodded with agreement before turning her gaze to her white haired boyfriend. Resuming her attention to her, she continued, "Finally, the person beside me is my boyfriend, Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro."

"Boyfriend?"

"Yep."

She took a moment to take a good look at the white haired Captain of the Royal Guard. "I see..."

Both Hitsugaya and Hinamori knew something like this is going to happen. Besides, no one in this world has ever accepted a commoner to be a part of the royal family in the first place.

Ichimaru took a step forward and said, "Allow me to show you two to your rooms. By now, the other guards have already brought your belongings up there. I hope you enjoy your stay here." "Thank you Captain Ichimaru," Ume said before resuming her attention to the other princess. "We'll talk again later once we get settled, okay?"

She slowly nodded with agreement. "Okay..."

"Ran-chan, let's go," the older captain said.

"What? Why me?"

He merely grinned at her. "Just because..."

"You're so mean making a young lady to do some work!" She pouted as she folded her arms over chest. She walked over to his side.

With another short bow, Koji, Princess Higashi, Matsumoto, and Gin left the throne room, leaving the others behind. Momo let out a sigh of relief before turning to her white haired boyfriend. She then noticed an expression he hasn't shown in a while: a serious face. "Is there something wrong, Toshiro?"

He just bit the bottom of his lip, trying to figure it out. Why is gut telling him that he has seen her somewhere before?

"Toshiro."

Suddenly snapping back to reality, he turned to see his girlfriend's worried face. "I'm alright," he replied. "It's just something's bothering me."

"Something?"

"For some reason, I get the feeling that I know your cousin from somewhere. I just can't put my finger on it."

All of a sudden, they heard the sound of glass breaking, sending everyone on high alert. "What was that?" Kira asked.

"I don't know, but it sounds like someone has intruded the palace," Renji replied.

"Kira, Abarai, Hisagi, take Momo to where Ichimaru and Matsumoto are. Your job is to protect the two princesses from any harm. In the meantime, I'll be getting to the bottom of this mess."

With nods of agreement from the Trio Knights, they replied, "Hai Hitsugaya-taicho!"

"Let's go Hinamori," Shuhei said, ushering the princess to go with them.

"Be careful Toshiro!" Momo call out.

"I will," he replied, drawing his sword out.

Without any further words from him, he ran out of the throne room, leaving the others with their own duties to fulfill.

* * *

As he ran through the hallway, he ran alongside with a few guards and asked, "Status report: what happened?"

"Hitsugaya-taicho!" one of the guards said. "Apparently, someone has came into the palace through the window at the northern corridor. According to some witnesses over there, they believe the intruder is Hi no Tori."

His eyes narrowed in response to the familiar name. After a week of peace, the thief has finally decided to try and steal the treasures from his beloved Momo again. "Alright then, I want you all to block all the exits."

"Yes sir!"

"What will you do, Captain?" another asked.

"I'm going to find him."

"Where could he be?"

"Remember who you're talking to; it takes a thief to know where another thief is possibly located."

As they are approaching the intersection of the hallway, Hitsugaya made a left turn while the others continued their way in a straight direction. All of a sudden, he heard a sound. Stopping in his tracks, he quietly listened for the sound to be heard once more._ "It's coming from the library."_

Slowly approaching the door, he kept both of his hands gripped onto the hilt of his blade in case the thief ambushes him. When he is close enough, Toshiro quietly listened for any movement on the other side. When he heard nothing, he took a step back. Using its momentum, he moved forward and forcefully kicked the door open.

Immediately as he entered the room, he kept his eyes moving around in search of anything that seems out of place. It remained that way until Hitsugaya suddenly put his hand into the inner part of his haori and threw a kunai to his right. He felt a faint movement of air before the lights lit up the room, revealing everything that was unknown before. "I found you, Hi no Tori."

"Captain Hitsugaya..."

* * *

**References**

_**Okaa-san - **_Mother,_** Oto-san - **_Father,_** Hai - **_Yes,_** Kyoko - **_Mirror; the Queen of the Higashi Region,_** Ume - **_Plum Blossom; the Princess of the Higashi Region_**, Arigato -**_ Thank You,_** Taicho - **_Captain,_** Uruse - **_Shut Up, _**Daijobou -**_ It's Alright, _**Aisu no Ryu -**_ Ice Dragon; Hitsugaya's codename back when he was the notorious thief_**  
**_

* * *

**Author's Note:** Another confrontation with Hi no Tori for Toshiro. What is going to happen? Well, you just have to wait and find out in chapter five! In the meantime, please review! Thanks.


	5. Thief Girl

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yes! I've finally come around to updating this story within a week's time! Now my next goal is...to write ahead of my updates. Anyway, thank you everyone for being so patient especially my reviewers: **RebelAngel91210, applestoapples, Kaye. Shirogane, NeonCookies O.o, satomika, lil'sayuri-chan, chococat450, talkstoangels77, icyangel27, Samantha, Neko-cheung, KnowledgeandImagination, MoonLightView, serenity095. **Without any further delay, here is chapter five. Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking."  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Five:** Thief Girl

"You're one amazing Captain of the Royal Guard," Hi no Tori said. "This is the second time that you're able to find me."

"Thanks for the compliment, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you go," Hitsugaya replied. "Besides, I did tell you that I'm not going to show any mercy the next time we meet."

The thief drew his straight bladed sword out, ready to strike at the white haired teenager. For a few moments, they were silent and testing each others patience. They were waiting for each other to make the first move.

Just when things were at its peak, Toshiro made the first move by throwing a few kunais in Hi no Tori's direction. However, he easily read the young captain's moves and dodged to the side, avoiding the assault. Just then, Hitsugaya charged at the thief with his long sword held up on one side. When he was about to stab Hi no Tori, his opponent defended against the attack with his sword.

For a while, the two fighters are trapped in a deadlock before Hi no Tori decided to take control of the battle. Feeling that he is being overpowered, Toshiro immediately retreated and retaliated back from the side. Once again, the blades clashed against one another. It went on like that for a few minutes. During that time, Hitsugaya was leading the thief towards the corner.

The sky blue eyed thief took a short glance back and noticed the young captain's intentions. At the right moment when he swung his sword at him, he leaped up high and did a midair flip over his head. Once he landed on the ground on his two feet, Hi no Tori immediately struck back. Instinctively, the fifteen year old ducked, evading the attack.

Planting his hands on the floor, he stuck a leg out and hit it against the thief's ankles in an attempt to make him lose his balance. Just as things are going well on his side, his opponent did a one handed handstand, shifted to the side, and jumped out of the window, breaking the glass along the way. "Why does everyone always like to get away through the window?" he wondered before jumping out as well.

Toshiro chased after her wherever she went. This time, he won't let her get away even if he hasn't taken any of Momo's family treasures just yet. He noticed Hi no Tori has ran up the tree trunk, jumped onto a thick branch, and leaped onto the nearby roof above. The young Captain of the Royal Guard followed her lead in a similar manner. He ran as fast as he could before jumping high in the air. Putting a foot onto the wall, he used it as a catapult to get him on higher ground. He did the same on the tree trunk with his other foot before landing on the roof safely.

Hi no Tori took a look back over his shoulder and noticed that Captain Hitsugaya is still chasing him. He narrowed his eyes and hissed between his teeth. "Damn, he's persistent. At this rate, I can't steal anything from here again."

The thief placed his hand in his pants pocket, took out three small spherical balls and threw them at him. When it almost came into contact with the white haired teenager, she expected several explosions occurring with her opponent caught in it. However, Hitsugaya retaliated by slicing them into pieces with his sword, run ahead of it, and thus escaping from being caught in the blast.

Using this opportunity, Toshiro struck back with his sword. Swinging from different angles, he tried to inflict damage on the thief. At the same time, he is pressuring him to step back. All Hi no Tori could do is step back one foot at a time dodging the attacks and defending against them with his sword. Luckily for him, things are finally going his way.

Just as Hitsugaya is about to stab him in the gut, he evaded away from the attack and forced the white haired captain to get his sword stuck in the wall. As he struggled to get it out, Hi no Tori swung his sword in an attempt to cut him.

Sensing danger, Toshiro let one of his hands go, turned his body around, and caught the attack with his bare hand. Hi no Tori's eyes widened with surprise at the bold move he has done. It didn't take long before his eyes narrowed once more.

The two fighters soon were engaged in another round of exchanging sword strikes against one another. As time continued to pass by, they went higher and higher, not knowing that they're about twenty feet above ground level. _"He's definitely not any ordinary guard. His style of fighting is definitely not taught within the palace walls. What exactly is he?"_

As Hi no Tori continued thinking about it, he did a misstep and lost his balance. Just as he is sliding down the roof, he took hold of a section of Toshiro's hakama (kimono pants). Just as he noticed, Hitsugaya dropped his long sword and got pulled down along with the thief. He instinctively took hold of something and hung on to it. He then closed his eyes and began to brace himself.

Just when he felt no further pain inflicted in his body, he realized something. Strangely, the thief's waist and hips are curvier than the average man's. _"This person is..."_

He opened his eyes and raised his head up to look at the Hi no Tori. His emerald-teal eyes narrowed.

_"Hi no Tori is a girl."_

All of a sudden, the discovered female thief took a glance down to see him still hang onto her. _"Here's my chance."_

With one hand let go of the edge of the roof, she dug her hand into the inside of her outfit and threw several shurikens in his direction.

Upon sensing danger, Hitsugaya immediately let go of her waist and began falling. During the process, Hitsugaya untied his dark green sword holding sash and tied one end with a kunai. Once he is done, he quickly threw it to the side. When he saw the kunai is draped over a nearby horizontal pole, he grabbed pointed weapon and hurriedly tied it to his sheath. Hanging onto it tightly, he swung toward the opposite wall. Just as he is about to crash, he used his feet to absorb the impact.

He let out a sigh of relief. "If I hadn't thought about this, I would have been a goner," Toshiro said.

Remembering about the thief girl, he turned his attention to where she was only to find no one there. He then hissed between his teeth.

"Damn it, I let her get away."

* * *

"Toshiro!" Hinamori exclaimed, running up to the white haired captain, who just entered her master bedroom. Just as she raised his left hand up with both of hers, Hitsugaya let out a small wince in pain. "You're injured!"

"I'm alright Mo-" The fifteen year old tried to tell her, but he was interrupted.

"You need to get treatment fast!"

"Oi oi, the injury is not that serious," Toshiro said as he, Kira, Captain Ichimaru, and Matsumoto watched the raven haired princess quickly went to her closet to get the first aid kit. "I won't die right away from a simple cut."

"There's no use saying that Hitsugaya-kun," Ichimaru said as Momo started bandaging her boyfriend's wound. "You should know by now how she is."

"Yes, she's such a Bed-Wetter."

"Mou, I heard that!" Hinamori said while giving him a pout face.

"How is Princess Ume?"

"Don't worry," Matsumoto replied. "Nagara, Hisagi, and Renji are looking after her from outside of her room."

"I see." When Hinamori finished giving him first aid, Toshiro took a moment to check the movement of his hand. He closed it into a fist for one moment before opening it out again. He gave her a nod of thanks. "Arigato Momo."

"You're welcome," she answered with a smile. "You must be hungry by now. I'll go get you something to eat, okay?"

"Alright."

With that said, turned her attention to Izuru. "Can you escort me there, Kira-kun?"

"Hai Hinamori-kun," he replied before leading her out of the room.

Once she is gone, the white haired captain closed his eyes and let out a sigh of defeat. "What's wrong, taicho?" Matsumoto asked.

"He must be depressed that he has failed to capture Hi no Tori," Ichimaru guessed.

Hitsugaya shot him a short glare and replied, "That's not quite the reason I'm thinking about. During my confrontation with the thief, I found out that she's a girl."

Rangiku blinked. "A girl? You're serious?"

"Oh my, Hitsugaya-kun turned out to be a pervert," Gin teased.

"Shut up Ichimaru, my life was on the line when I found out her gender," Toshiro retorted before folding his arms over his chest. "Go start going out with one another if you guys have so much free time to tease me like this."

It was when Matsumoto's face turned a little red. Pointing a finger at the older captain, she exclaimed, "Hey, if there is one thing I need to be clear with it is never in a million years I'm going to ever date this idiot! Who would have an interest in a guy who loves to kill and deceive people?"

"Now that's mean to say Ran-chan," Ichimaru said, grinning with delight. "I don't go around and do that for my own amusement. You know me well enough that I do it for a reason. Besides, even though you said that, you really do care about me deep inside."

"Shut up Gin."

As he is leaving the bedroom, Hitsugaya rolled his eyes over the fact that these two childhood friends can't just be normal people for once. Just by looking at the two of them together, he knows too well that they share a very close yet strange relationship.

* * *

Princess Ume opened the door and stepped out of her bedroom for her guard to see her presence. "Are you alright?" Koji asked.

"I'm fine," she replied. "However, I wasn't able to steal anything from here. As long as Captain Hitsugaya continues to get in my way, I won't be able to do anything productive here. We need to distract him away from the palace somehow."

"In that case, leave that matter to me. Please allow me to handle that part."

The violet haired princess then nodded with agreement. "Alright then."

"Hey Ume-hime," Hisagi said as he and Renji walked up to them with tray of food in their hands. "We got you some food for you to eat and Nagara, we have your share too."

She gave the two members of the Trio Knights a smile and a short bow. "Thank you."

"You should stay inside," Renji suggested. "The intruder might still be around."

"Don't worry about that Abarai," said a voice. "Hi no Tori has already escaped from the palace."

"Hitsugaya-taicho, you've returned," Shuhei said to the white haired captain.

When Ume took note of his bandaged left hand, she asked, "You're injured. Are you alright?"

"Don't worry about it too much," he replied. "It's only a minor injury."

"I see." She gave him a sweet smile. "That's great to hear."

As the princess is chatting with the others, Hitsugaya had his eyes on her. They narrowed with suspicion. There are so many questions flooding in his thoughts right now and one of them has to deal with the Princess of the Higashi Region and her guard, Nagara Koji. There has to be another reason why they suddenly decided to come here to Seireitei and Rukongai to meet Princess Hinamori Momo. Most of all, his gut feeling (that has been bothering him lately) is telling him that Ume just might be the thief girl that has been causing them trouble in the first place.

* * *

**References**

_**Hi no Tori**_ - Fire Bird; the female thief's codename, _**Arigato**_ - Thank You,_** Hai **_- Yes, _**Taicho **_- Captain, _**Hime **_- Princess

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hitsugaya is having suspicions now about them. What exactly is Koji and Princess Ume are planning to do next? Find out what happens next in chapter six! Please review! Thanks. **  
**


	6. Stolen

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Special thanks goes to my wonderful reviewers: **becomeafan, icyangel27, tlg, MoonLightView, pinkbuddy36, Neko-cheung, KnowledgeandImagination, HyourinmaruIce, Kaye. Shirogane, Koneko144, lil'sayuri-chan, athfdrizzle, satomika, RebelAngel91210, serenity095, Samantha, NeonCookies O.o, applestoapples, bengara-koushi, livebankaishowcode002, strawberriespeaches, girlslikeboys, redpandagirl **_(x5)_. Thank you for your support. Without any further delay, here is chapter six. Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking."  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Six:** Stolen

Toshiro was supposed to be doing his daily paperwork during this time, but his thoughts are interfering with his actions. He is too busy thinking about the thief girl, Hi no Tori. _"If Princess Higashi really is that thief, then what's her true motive for being here?"_ he thought. _"There has to be an explanation for her actions."_

"Ah Hitsugaya, you're supposed to be doing your paperwork!" Matsumoto exclaimed upon entering his office.

Placing his arm down, he gave her a stern look. "I don't need you to tell me that. What exactly are you here for? Weren't you supposed to be watching Momo and Princess Higashi?"

"Daijobou, the Trio Knights are taking care of them," she replied as she placed a tray of today's snack. "In the meantime, your beloved girlfriend has asked me to deliver some food to you."

"Thanks, but I'm not really hungry at the moment."

All of a sudden, a grin appeared on her face. "Are you sure about that? The snack that Hinamori asked me to bring you happens to be your favourite snack."

Upon hearing that, Hitsugaya gave her a glare. She just had to say that in order to get his attention. Being friends with him for so long, she knows him too well. "Just go away, Matsumoto."

She smiled and started leaving the room with her hands together on the back of her neck. "Sure, whatever you say, taicho."

Once she is gone, Toshiro leaned back against his chair and let out a sigh of defeat. Sometimes, he wonder why he's able to tolerate with the woman.

Hitsugaya picked up a slice of watermelon and began eating it. Thoughts about the thief girl returned to his thoughts. "Even if accuse her being that thief, how do I prove her guilty?"

Just after he took another bite out of his favourite snack, the door slammed opened as one of the Trio Knights ran into the room. "Hitsugaya-taicho! It's urgent news!" Izuru exclaimed, holding a piece of paper in his hand.

"What is it, Kira?" Toshiro asked, setting his food aside for a moment.

He handed him the note to read. "Hi no Tori has declared that she's going to steal the Fountain's Tear from the Yamazaki family tonight. The family has requested for our assistance."

"Alright then," he replied. "Please get Ichimaru in here. I'll talk to him about it."

"Hai Hitsugaya-taicho!"

With that said, the blond haired teenager left.

After quickly eating the rest of his watermelon slices, the gray haired captain came into the room. "Did you call for me, Hitsuga-" Ichimaru asked while watching the younger captain wipe the juices away from his mouth with his wrist. "Ara, it seems like I'm interrup-"

Toshiro shot him a glare. "Shut up Ichimaru, I just finished eating watermelon, that's all."

"Yes little captain, so why did you call me up for?"

Hitsugaya then held up the piece of paper that Kira has gave him a while ago. "Hi no Tori has threatened to steal a precious treasure from the Yamazaki family."

A grin appeared on his face. "I see; you want me and the Trio Knights to take care of this matter. In the meantime, you, Ran-chan, and Nagara-kun are to take care of the two princesses, am I right?"

"That's not the only reason. There is something I need to confirm while I'm with them. It's about Hi no Tori's identity."

"Is that so?" His grin turned wider, having a very good idea where he's getting at. "You're suspecting that the Princess of the Higashi Region is Hi no Tori."

"More or less..."

Hitsugaya then gave him a look. "You already thought about this, didn't you?"

"It's part of a Captain's duty to be several steps ahead of the enemy. Don't worry; I know exactly what you intend to do, Hitsugaya-kun."

He let out a sigh of defeat. "You better not mess up, Ichimaru."

"Do you really think I am capable of doing such a thing?"

"I think you're capable of doing a lot of things that seems unimaginable," the fifteen year old captain explained. "You knew from the start that Aizen was up to no good and decided to stay close to his side until the final moment."

"I had to or else he would have suspected me."

Toshiro folded his arms over his chest. "Either way, you like to plan things ahead of time."

"Just like you...and within a few years, you may be able to match wits with me," Gin pointed out. "For now, you still have a lot to learn about the world of royalty and riches."

The white haired captain gave him a stern look. "And that's coming from someone who was originally born into the lower class."

Gin smiled. "At least we both have some sort of mutual understanding."

"As long as you don't cause trouble for Matsumoto, I won't go after you."

"Yes, little captain," the older captain said as he began heading towards the door. "Now will you please excuse me, I shall go inform my dear followers, Izuru, Abarai-kun, and Hisagi-kun about our assigned task for tonight. In the meantime, be sure to protect your princess girlfriend with your life. Oh yes, be sure to look after Ran-chan for me, you know what she has a tendency to do during the night."

"Oh don't worry about that, she'll be working for her jug of sake for tonight."

"Ou, you're so strict."

"Just get out of here."

"Yes and bye bye!"

With that said, the gray haired captain of the Royal Guard left the room, leaving Hitsugaya alone in his barracks again. Leaning back against his seat, he let out a sigh of defeat. "Damn it, I could use another slice of watermelon right about now."

* * *

"Ou, what a pretty pendant you got there," Ume said after taking a look at the treasure that Momo presented for her to see. "Where did you get such a thing?"

The two princesses are sitting in the living room for their afternoon tea time. "I actually got it custom made from one of the Seireitei jewelery makers that my father introduced me to," Hinamori explained. "He told me that's the place where he usually gets all the nice things for my mother."

"I see; is this yours?"

The raven haired princess shook her head. "It's for Toshiro."

She raised an eyebrow. "Toshiro, you mean that white haired captain who is your boyfriend?"

Momo nodded with agreement. "Yes, he's the one."

"Why are you giving him such an expensive gift?"

Hinamori took a moment to put the dragon shaped pendant back in its small box. After closing the lid, she replied, "Actually, tomorrow's his birthday and I wanted to give him something nice for the occasion."

"That's pretty sweet of you."

"Thank you."

"I can see that you really care about him even if he's...a commoner."

"I don't care if Toshiro is a commoner or not. He loves me for who I am and I love him back for the same reason. That's all that matters to us. Because we both think that way, we're...planning to get married in the near future after everything in Rukongai and Seireitei are stable."

"Really? So, Captain Hitsugaya is going to be the new King of Seireitei?"

"Well, that's how it is since I'm currently the Princess of Seireitei who will become the new Queen someday."

Higashi looked back and forth to see if he's listening from anywhere. She leaned forward, placed a hand on the side of her lip and whispered, "Are you sure he has what it takes to run the kingdom with you?"

Momo nodded with agreement. "Even if he doesn't at the moment, he's willing to learn. I know he'll get the hang of it one way or another. Besides, he has already gotten used to working as Captain of the Royal Guard for about a month."

"Sorry to interrupt you two," Koji said upon entering the living room, "but will you please excuse Princess Higashi for a moment?"

"Alright then," Hinamori replied before resuming her attention to Ume. "We'll talk more again later, okay?"

"Thanks Momo; I'll see you later."

"Hai."

* * *

Once they entered her bedroom, Ume turned to Koji and asked, "What did you want me for?"

He then handed her a scrolled up letter. "Your mother has sent you a message. She got a messenger bird to deliver it to us."

"I see," she replied. The princess took a step forward and took the letter from his hand. After she unrolled it, she silently read it. At one point, her eyes narrowed at the important message inside. Once she is done, she returned her attention to Nagara.

"Do you understand what you're supposed to do next?"

"Yes."

Koji nodded with agreement. "Good. Remember, they must not find out."

"I understand."

"That's it."

"Alright."

* * *

"Remember you guys, do not let your guard down," Hitsugaya reminded. "Hi no Tori is a clever thief when it comes to her getaways."

"Though he says that, in reality, she's nothing compared to Hitsugaya-taicho back then he was still the notorious thief," Renji said to Kira and Hisagi.

"Oi Abarai, pay attention!"

"Yes captain."

"How scary Hitsugaya-kun can be," Gin said, grinning with delight.

"It's our job as members of the Royal Guard to maintain peace in the kingdom of Seireitei and Rukongai."

"Understood!" all the assigned guards said.

Hitsugaya then turned to Ichimaru. After a short nod of agreement from him, the gray haired captain turned his attention to his crew and said, "Well everyone, it's time for us to get going. See you later Hitsugaya-kun, take good care of the princesses. Let's go everyone!"

"Yes Captain Ichimaru!"

With that said, everyone who is assigned to do the mission, left the palace with the Trio Knights and the seventeen year old captain. Once they were gone, Hitsugaya let out a soft sigh and turned around. It's time for him to resume his duties to looking after his princess and Princess Higashi with Matsumoto and Nagara.

* * *

Blades clashed against one another several times before their respected owners are caught in a deadlock. "You're softening up Hinamori," Rangiku said. "Maintain your focus!"

"H-Hai!"

The strawberry orange haired woman pushed her back so that space between them can be created. Moments later, the peach princess charged at her. Just as she is about to thrust, Matsumoto evaded to one side, dodging her attack. Reacting quickly to her actions, Momo did a full twist to the side. Using its momentum, she swung her sword at Rangiku. In the nick of time, the older swordsman held her sword horizontally above her head and defended against her assault.

As the two friends are sparring with one another, Toshiro entered the training room and noticed them. He then took a moment to scan the area for the two guests who are staying here. He asked, "Where are Princess Higashi and Nagara?"

Upon hearing his voice, Rangiku and Momo stopped what they were doing and turned to the white haired captain. "Hey Hitsugaya," Matsumoto replied. "Princess Higashi went to the washroom. Nagara went with her to make sure nothing happens to her."

He narrowed his eyes for a brief moment. "I see."

Noticing her boyfriend is putting up a serious face, she took a step forward and asked, "Toshiro, is there something wrong?"

He turned his body to the side and answered, "I just wanted to know where they are, that's all."

Though he said that, Momo knew that what he meant isn't so. As a matter of fact, it's something that can potentially endanger her. As a friend, guard, and lover, he cares about her safety and well-being. Walking up to him, she took hold of his hand. When he noticed, Hitsugaya looked back to see the soft smile on his princess' face. "Momo?"

"Can we talk for a bit?"

Knowing that Matsumoto is around, he raised his head to see where she is only to find out that she's already gone. He let out a sigh and slowly shook his head. _"That woman...she's definitely going to tease me after this."_

He returned his attention to the raven haired girl.

"Of course, what is it?"

It is when Momo started to fiddle with the small box in her hands behind her back. Even though she is ready, her mind seems to be having difficulty co-operating with her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _"It's alright; he's going to love it. Stop being so nervous and give it to him." _

"Don't tell me you've been wetting the bed again."

"Mou, I did not!" she pouted.

Hitsugaya let out a smirk. "Well, what am I supposed to say? You looked very nervous about something and it's not helping me."

Hinamori then let out a faint smile. "So, you noticed I was feeling that way."

He placed a hand on her back and pulled her close. After leaning over, he whispered in her ear, "Of course I do. Why wouldn't I notice?"

Toshiro gave her a loving lip kiss in which Momo immediately accepted and returned. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied. "Now, are you ready to tell me?"

With a nod of agreement, Momo began hold up the present for him to see. At that moment, Hitsugaya heard something. Instinctively, he turned around and placed an arm out in front of his princess.

"What's going on?" she asked.

He looked and noticed a thick cloud of smoke covering them. The two teenagers began coughing. All of a sudden, Toshiro felt himself becoming quite drowsy. Knowing what he and Hinamori is inflicted with, he struggled to stay awake. However, he's fighting a losing battle. "S-Shit...this is...sleeping...gas."

Toshiro and Momo soon collapsed on the floor and blacked out.

* * *

"Hitsugaya..."

His hand twitched.

"Hitsugaya-kun, it's time to wake up..."

He stirred for a bit before his emerald-teal eyes started opening. The first thing he saw is the faces of Ichimaru Gin and Matsumoto Rangiku close to his own. He gave them a glare and retorted, "You two idiots, get out of my face."

"Well, prince charming has finally woken up from his deep sleep," the gray haired captain teased. "It took you long enough."

After let out a small groan, Toshiro sat up and placed a hand on his head. He asked, "What the hell happened while I was unconscious?"

"Captain Hitsugaya, I'm glad you're alright," said another voice.

He turned his head to the side to see Princess Ume and Nagara in his presence.

"However, please don't be alarmed."

The fifteen year old teenager then raised an eyebrow. "Princess Higashi, what are you talking about? Why would I be alarmed?"

"I can't find Momo anywhere."

"Momo?" Upon remembering her, he looked around the room to find the princess nowhere in sight. He turned to all his comrades. "Do you guys know where she is?"

Matsumoto slowly shook her head. "We've looked everywhere."

Kira nodded with agreement. "We've looked in and outside the palace walls."

"The princess is nowhere to be found," Hisagi added.

"Sorry Hitsugaya-taicho," Renji apologized.

It is when he began to worry. Lowering his head, he concluded, "I see; she has been kidnapped."

* * *

**References**

_**Hi no Tori**_ - Fire Bird; Ume's codename as the female thief, _**Daijobou **_- It's Alright, _**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Hai**_ - Yes

* * *

**Author's Note: **Gah, Momo's kidnapped, but by who? What will Toshiro do? Well, you just have to wait and find out in my next update. In the meantime, please review! Thanks. **  
**


	7. Comeback

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Gah, it's finally done! I was so focused on my other two stories that I've kept delaying the completion of chapter seven of The Next Greatest Treasure. Then again, this one was a fairly long one to write. Phew...Anyway, thank you everyone for being so patient with me especially my dear reviewers: **tlg, icyangel27, Neko-cheung, redpandagirl, KnowledgeandImagination, RebelAngel91210, HyourinmaruIce, serenity095, MoonLightView, applestoapples, Samantha, WhitePrincessOfHope, NeonCookies O.o, Kaye. Shirogane, becomeafan, athfdrizzle, lil'sayuri-chan, anime16, maili-chan. **Without further adieu, what will Toshiro do now that he knows Momo has been kidnapped? Find out in chapter seven. Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking." Flash Back.  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Seven:** Comeback

Once he entered his chambers and closed the door behind him, Hitsugaya did not hesitate to slam the bottom of his fist against the nearby wall beside him. "Damn it, I should have been more attentive of what's going on around me or else Momo would have never disappeared in the first place."

Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door.

"Go away Matsumoto and you too Ichimaru."

"Amazing Captain Hitsugaya, you knew it was me all along without having to say a word," said the female voice from the other side.

"And that goes the same for me," the male voice added.

Toshiro leaned against the door and then rolled his eyes. After letting out a defeated sigh, he turned around and opened the door for them to see him. "Are you here to mock me or to make me feel better?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Rangiku asked. "We're here to make you feel better."

He raised an eyebrow, not quite convinced of their words. These are one of the things he is still trying to comprehend: Ichimaru's and Matsumoto's thought process. Sometimes, their expressions don't match their thinking. "What do you plan to do to make me stop feeling like shit?"

"First of all, don't beat yourself like that. It can't be helped that you weren't able to save her. Just make up for it by running out of the palace and risk your life to save her."

Hitsugaya gave her a look.

"Remember back then when you were fighting against Aizen? You went into battle because you wanted to save Hinamori. You never cared about being an ordinary Rukongai Citizen or the notorious thief. You did it because you love her from the bottom of your heart."

He looked down for a moment. Stuffing his right hand into the inside of his kimono, he took out a small navy velvet box and opened it. After looking at the gift inside, Toshiro closed his eyes and let out a sigh. Upon reopening them, he look up at Matsumoto and Ichimaru, who are wondering what's inside the box.

"Whoever stole her are thieves and you know what happens when one steals something, right?"

The white haired teenager let out a defeated sigh. After closing the box and putting it back into his pocket, he let out a smirk. "There's always a chance for the original owner to steal it back. You want me to get out of retirement and save her in style, don't you?"

Matsumoto smiled. "Of course, oh great notorious thief."

"For the sake of saving my greatest treasure, Aisu no Ryu will be temporarily back in business."

Then, the strawberry orange haired teenager put up a guts pose while Ichimaru merely smiled with delight. "Alright Hitsugaya!"

"Good luck with your mission," Gin said.

"It has only been six months, I don't think I need good luck. Besides, it's not like I've been out of practice, haven't I?" Toshiro asked.

"Good point there."

"Putting that aside for a moment, what happened at the Yamazaki residence?"

"Well, Izuru, Abarai-kun, Hisagi-kun, myself, and the other Royal Guards when we went to the Yamazaki household to protect their treasure..."

* * *

_"Hi no Tori is late," Renji said. "She is not the punctual type compared to Hitsugaya-taicho."_

_"Every thief is different," Hisagi said._

_"The message could be a diversion to keep some of us away from the palace," Ichimaru said._

_"Weaker in numbers, huh?" Kira speculated._

_Gin smiled. "It may seem that way, but as long as a plan is carefully formulated, the outcome is not easily predicted."_

_"Let me guess," Renji said. "You and Hitsugaya-taicho have planned something out."_

_The older teenager's grin grew wider. "You got that right, Abarai-kun."_

_After giving him a look, he turned to his fellow Trio Knight members and said, "I swear, if those two weren't on our side, they can rule the world if they want to."_

_Izuru and Shuhei both nodded with agreement. "Enough fooling around, you guys. I think it's time for action."_

_Heads turned to where Ichimaru is looking at. A member of the Royal Guard ran up to them and exclaimed, "Hi no Tori has been spotted from the southern side of the Yamazaki residence!"_

_"Well everyone, let the games begin."_

_The Trio Knights and Captain Ichimaru all drew their swords from their sheaths._ _The four members of the Royal Guard then split up in order to gather more ground and increase their chances of discovering Hi no Tori's whereabouts. Kira took the eastern route, Abarai took the southern route, Hisagi took the western route, and finally, Gin took the northern route.

* * *

_

_Just as Izuru turned at the corner, he noticed something from the edge of his eye. Immediately, he turned his head and ran after it. As one of the guards are following alongside him, the pale blond haired teenager instructed, "Inform Abarai-kun, Hisagi-san, and Ichimaru-taicho that I have spotted the whereabouts of Hi no Tori."_

_"Yes sir!" _

_Once two have gone, Kira continued his pursuit to catch the thief._ _"Hi no Tori is likely to be heading to where the Fountain's Tear is. So, the others are more likely to go there and ambush her."_

_"Kira-san, the thief just made a right!" One of the guards said. _

_He nodded with agreement. "Alright, we're going to continue to pursue her."_

_"Yes sir!"_

_When they made the next turn, they met up with a few more guards. One of them said, "Ichimaru-taicho has instructed to pressure the thief to making a left. Abarai-san and Hisagi-san are there to ambush her."_

_"Okay, I got it," Izuru said. "You heard what he said! Half of us are to split up at the next intersection. We're going to corner her!"_

_"Ossu!"_

_Did as they were commanded to do, the guards went their separate ways at the intersection in an attempt to corner and ambush the thief. Just when they thought their plan is working, when Kira's, Hisagi's, and Renji's groups met, there was no sign of the thief. "Oi, what's the big deal?" the red headed teenager asked. "I thought you were suppose to lead Hi no Tori here, not lose her."_

_"We were going after her," Izuru explained. "However, it seems like she noticed our intentions."_

_Renji cursed and stomped on one foot. "Ichimaru-taicho should have seen this coming."_

_At the mentioning of his name, Kira and Hisagi looked at one another before turning their attention to the other Trio Knight. "Do you think he considered this as well?" Shuhei asked. _

_"Knowing him, it's a yes," Kira replied. _

_"What are you guys talking about?" Renji asked. _

_"We need to go to the treasure room to help Ichimaru-taicho."_

_"Um, yeah...sure." _

* * *

_A piece of the ceiling is removed, allowing Hi no Tori to quietly leap onto the ground without making a sound. She looked back and forth before letting out a sigh of relief. "Good, no one's here."_

_"Sorry, did you say something?" asked a male voice from behind. The sky blue eyed thief turned around to see the grinning teenager standing in front of the door behind her. Her eyes narrowed dangerously at him. "I didn't catch the last part. Can you please repeat what you have said?"_

_"Judging from the clothes you're wearing, you must be the other Captain of the Royal Guard."_

_"My name's Ichimaru Gin." All of a sudden, the gray haired captain charged at her. With a swing of his sword, he tried to cut her. In response to his actions, she quickly drew her ninja sword and defended against the attack. "It's a pleasure to meet you."_

_Immediately, the two fighters pushed each other back in order to create some distance between them. __"Ichimaru-taicho, huh?" The two swords clashed into one another once more as they battled for dominance. "Are you good as Captain Hitsugaya?"_

_A wide grin appeared on his face. "Why don't you sit back and find out?"_

_He pulled back his sword and turned his back against his opponent. Noticing him facing away from her, she used the opportunity to strike him from behind. However, it is exactly how Ichimaru wanted things appear to turn out. Gin grinned with delight. Without any hesitation of his clothes' well-being, he stabbed his sword through his haori and towards Hi no Tori's face._

_By the time she realized it, the thief girl shifted her body to the side, evading the assault. Using the momentum of her movements, she twisted her body around and swung his sword to the side. Just as the blade is about to make contact with his vulnerable arm, the gray haired captain quickly took something out from the inside of his kimino and dropped it on the floor. Shortly after, he barely evaded against the attack. __"What a sly trick you have pulled off," the thief said. _

_"Thank you," he replied. "However, that's not all the tricks I have up my sleeves."_

_After hearing something fall on the ground, she looked down and let out gasp. Ichimaru has dropped a small explosive which caused impact to the environment around them. They were soon covered in a thick cloud of smoke. Despite knowing that it doesn't give him an edge in battle, it certainly gave him some time to change tactics. "Oh Hi no Tori, come out wherever you are!" _

_"You're pretty smart, Captain Ichimaru," he heard her reply. "However, let's see if you can fight against me and my army of allies." _

_All of a sudden, he heard the sounds of shattering glass from both sides of his ears. When the smoke was forcefully removed by the wind, he saw he was surrounded by her and an army of at least fifty men. "My my, isn't fifty against one a bit unfair?" _

_"Not in my book that is." _

_"Oh well, it doesn't matter," Gin said with his usual grin on his face. "At least, I can even up the numbers a little bit." _

_At this time, the Trio Knights and his army of guards opened the doors behind their captain, ready to fight along his side. "Very well then, let's fight."_

_"Here's your mission everyone. Keep the Fountain's Tear safe and capture Hi no Tori."_

_"Yes sir!" his loyal servants exclaimed. _

_With a swing of her sword in front, the thief girl shouted, "Charge!" _

_With shouts from both sides, the two sides ran after one another and clashed their swords together.  
_

_

* * *

_Hitsugaya raised his right hand up to his mouth and gently bit his thumb nail. "In the end, she and what's left of her army ran away."

"Unfortunately, that's how it ended," Ichimaru replied. "She definitely has left quite the amount of allies on her side over overpower ours while she ran off with her tail between her legs. On the bright side, we still managed to keep the Fountain's Tear safe."

"Fine then, the next thing we should worry about now is to keep a very close eye on her."

A grin appeared on the older captain's face. "You got that right."

"What exactly are you two talking about?" Rangiku asked the two geniuses. "You do understand it's rude to keep a lady in the dark."

"I'll explain once we head over to Rukongai," Hitsugaya explained as he began leaving the room. "It's time for us to do some information gathering. Maybe Kyoraku and Ukitake knows something about what happened to Momo and about her kidnappers. Let's go, Matsumoto."

"Hai taicho."

"See you later you guys," Gin said, watching his two comrades leave the room. Once they are gone, the gray haired captain let out a grin on his face. "Well, it's time to get things moving. It's time to find out what Ume-chan and Nagara-kun are up to."

* * *

Hitsugaya kicked the front doors open, immediately getting the attention to all the drinkers, bartenders, and waitresses in the bar. "Well, if it isn't Captain Hitsugaya and Matsumoto from the Hinamori Palace," said one of the drinkers.

Then he noticed a serious look on the white haired teenager's face, who just walked by him without a single word. He then turned to his strawberry orange haired companion.

"Did he get into a dispute with his princess girlfriend?"

"That's not the case," Rangiku replied. "He's here to gather some information. A while ago, Hinamori has been kidnapped."

"Really? Then that totally explains Hitsugaya's very serious behaviour."

She nodded with agreement. "At that rate, he definitely able to travel to the other side of the planet just to save her."

"No kidding."

"Matsumoto," Toshiro called out, getting her attention. "Let's go. Ukitake and Kyoraku are inside waiting for us."

"Okay, I'm coming!"

Once she walked to his side, the two former Rukongai residents went inside the small room to find their other companions in there. "Yo Hitsugaya, what's up?" Shunsui greeted.

"Good evening Hitsugaya-kun, Matsumoto, what brings you both here?" Jushiro asked.

The two members of the Royal Guard took their seats at the table. Immediately, the white haired teenager placed his right arm on the table and looked directly into their eyes. "A few hours ago, Hinamori has been kidnapped supposedly by a group of thieves. Have you seen them around the area recently?"

"Name your price and then we'll spill the beans," Kyoraku said.

The young captain gave the straw hat man a stern look. "Let me guess, you're broke again."

He smiled. "You got that right, little captain."

Rangiku leaned over to her companion and whispered, "What do we do now? They're difficult people to deal with when they have a money crisis in their hands."

"Don't worry; I got it all covered. I expected something like this to happen to us eventually."

He took a bag, which he was carrying around with him, and placed it on the table. When he opened the bag, he took out a rare brand of large jug of sake, a rare brand of blended herbal tea in a box, and a sac of money. "Eh, Hitsugaya this i-"

Before Rangiku could say anything more, he covered her mouth with his hand so that she doesn't say anymore. "My offer to you are all these for the information of the thieves' whereabouts. These items are hard to come by these days, but that fact only applies to people who live here."

"You're serious Hitsugaya? You managed to get your hands on this brand of sake even if you're still underage?" Kyoraku asked, picking up the jug to get a better look at it.

"Hey, you're talking to someone who is living in the Hinamori Palace. It's obvious that Hinamori gets a lot of rare expenses and gifts from nearby countries."

"Are you sure it's okay for you to take them from there?" Ukitake asked.

"Hinamori would prefer that you have it. Besides, I'm pretty sure she is running out of room to keep her stuff."

"Then you got yourself a deal," Kyoraku declared, shaking hands with the young captain.

_"No, that's the jug of sake I was planning to drink tonight!" _Matsumoto thought, mentally crying over her loss. _"You're so mean Hitsugaya!"_

"Thank you for your co-operation," Toshiro replied after letting go of the female teenager. "Now tell me everything I need to know about the thieves that stole Momo and their whereabouts right now."

* * *

**References**

_**Aisu no Ryu**_ - Ice Dragon; Hitsugaya's codename as the notorious thief, _**Hi no Tori**_ - Fire Bird; Princess Ume's codename as the female thief, _**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Ossu**_ - Yes Sir, _**Haori**_ - Kimono Jacket, **_Hai _**- Yes**  
**

* * *

**Author's Note: **Kyaa! Aisu no Ryu is making a comeback to steal back his greatest treasure! Will he succeed? Well, he better hurry up or else who knows what the band of thieves are going to do to Momo. O.o Find out what happens next in chapter eight! In the meantime, please review! Thanks.**  
**


	8. Ready and Action

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yes, another update for this story! Special thanks goes to my wonderful reviewers: **tlg, Samantha, icyangel27, applestoapples, Neko-cheung, KnowledgeandImagination, Kaye. Shirogane, lil'sayuri-chan, HyourinmaruIce, athfdrizzle, redpandagirl****, k a y - t h i**. Without any further delay, here is chapter eight. Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking."  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Eight:** Ready and Action

The weather is foggy during this time of day. Then again, it is only six o'clock in the morning. The sun has only begun to rise up from the horizon. "You guys didn't have to wake up to send me off," Hitsugaya said to the Trio Knights, Ichimaru, and Matsumoto, who caught him about to leave the front gate of the palace. "Besides, you all need your sleep."

"And that's coming from someone who is supposed to staying in bed right now," Gin replied with a grin.

Toshiro glared at the gray haired captain, but soon turned to Rangiku, who is smiling at him. "Well, you're all dressed in your thief attire. All you need to do now is pick up some additional weapons at the usual place."

"Yeah, I suppose," he replied, looking at himself. He is wearing a black kimono which is tied together with a black sash. Also supporting onto his sash are his black bandanna and mouth mask. He also wore a pair of black fingerless gloves, and black tabi (ninja shoes). To finish his outfit, he wore black hooded cloak over his clothes and his trademark long sword and sheath tied onto his back and right shoulder with his green sash. "After that, I'm going to find Momo and the thieves who stole her at the border of Rukongai."

"Be careful out there," Kira said.

"Be sure to come back alive with her," Renji added.

"Take care of yourself Hitsugaya-taicho," Hisagi encouraged.

"Thank you, I'll make sure Momo comes back safely with me," Toshiro replied. "In the meantime, be sure to look after Princess Higashi and Nagara in case anything happens."

With nods of agreement from his fellow guards and friends, Matsumoto and the Trio Knights said in unison, "Yes sir!"

He then turned to Ichimaru. With a single nod, the older captain knew what he wants him to do: keep an eye on the princess and her bodyguard. "Have a safe trip, Hitsugaya-kun."

With that said, the returned notorious thief turned around, got on his black horse beside him, and replied his farewell to his allies, "Ja ne..."

He kicked on the horse's side and pulled on its reigns, commanding it to run. The horse leaned back on its hind legs and let out a neigh. Once it landed on its four feet again, it ran through the palace gates and into the land of Seireitei and Rukongai with Hitsugaya riding on its back. For a short while, the others watched him until they are unable to through the thick cloud of morning haze.

"There he goes," Izuru said.

"The rest is up to him whether he saves her or not," Hisagi added.

"Let's just hope he does," Renji further commented.

"Hey, you're talking about the notorious thief, Aisu no Ryu," Matsumoto said. "He is the same person who have caused you all so much trouble over the last three years. He's a professional when it comes to stealing. Despite the six month hiatus, I'm sure he still has what it takes to save Hinamori without much difficulty."

Kira and Hisagi let out sighs of defeat. One of them said, "Let's just hope so."

* * *

By the time Toshiro arrived at his destination, he got off his horse and tied the reigns onto a nearby post. After petting his animal companion, he looked up into the sky to see the sun is already high up in the partly cloudy sky. "It looks like another set of snow precipitation is about to fall on the land," he said. "I better get everything ready before it comes."

The white haired teenager then took a look at the house shop standing in front of him.

"He better be here or else I'm going to have to resort to borrowing his items without permission again."

With that said, Hitsugaya went inside the home. "Welcome to the shop," greeted the dirty blond haired shop owner, who opened his hand fan to cool himself. "How may I help you today?"

"Cut with the polite greetings Urahara," Toshiro retorted. "It's only me."

Urahara Kisuke adjusted the position of his white and green stripped hat and leaned over to take a closer look at the familiar face. All of a sudden, he closed his hand fan and gently hit its side with the palm of his free hand. "Well well, look what we have here? It has been a while since I last saw you, Hitsugaya."

"Yes, it has been a while. I can see that you're doing well these days."

"Of course and it's all thanks to what you and your girlfriend have done for us over the past six months. So, what brings you here all dressed up as Aisu no Ryu?"

"I'm here to pick up a few weapons for my journey to the outskirts of Rukongai," the white haired captain replied while walking to the side of the room to take a look at some of the weaponry. "I need to steal back my princess from the thieves who live there."

"Oh, she was kidnapped," Kisuke said. "That's unfortunate."

"Even if it is that way, he has decided to risk his life to save his love," said a female voice entering the room with the two males. The dark skinned woman with violet hair and yellow cat-like eyes stood next to Urahara and smirked at the white haired teenager. "Isn't that right, little Toshiro?"

Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed at the woman. "I can see that you're still hanging around these parts, Shihoin."

Yoruichi wrapped her arms around her waist and replied, "Actually, I just returned from my little adventure around Seireitei and Rukongai."

"So you were following me this whole time."

She grinned. "Of course."

Toshiro let out a small hiss and turned his head to the side. "How expected of the Goddess of Flash to be an expert in stalking people."

"Is that how you compliment a person who has spent her precious time to teach you all the acrobatic techniques and hand to hand combat skills you are now capable of doing without breaking a sweat?"

Her sudden dangerous grin has signaled the teenager to back off or else things could get ugly between them. Besides, he is well aware that she's a professional at assassination. "No, not at all. Please excuse my rude behaviour."

"You're easily forgiven."

"Well Hitsugaya, you can have all the weapons you like free of charge," Urahara said.

"Are you sure about that?" Hitsugaya asked the older male.

He nodded with agreement. "Most definitely; consider it as a special service for the future King of Seireitei."

Toshiro suddenly let out a short snort. "King of Seireitei? Geez, I don't think I'm ever going to get used to being addressed that way once I get married to Momo."

Kisuke smiled back. "Choose wisely now; the best weapon are the ones which can save your life and those who you want to protect."

* * *

"Good morning everyone," Princess Ume greeted upon entering the throne room to find Kira, Hisagi, Renji, Matsumoto, and Captain Ichimaru present. "Oh, where's Captain Hitsugaya?"

"He left the palace to rescue Hinamori-chan," Gin replied.

"Oh my, he went off on his own?"

"Yes, he did."

"Isn't it dangerous for him to be out there on his own?" Higashi asked with concern. "Besides, there are many kinds of bad people out there like assassins, beggars, rappers, and thieves. Any one of them could have gotten to him while he's searching for Momo."

"Don't worry; he'll be alright," Matsumoto said. "Besides, he's been raised and was trained in Rukongai to be a strong swordsman. He doesn't really need our help."

_"No kidding,"_ Kira thought.

_"He definitely doesn't need our assistance,"_ Renji mentally said.

_"We're talking about Aisu no Ryu here," _Hisagi thought.

"Are you sure about that?" Ume asked.

Rangiku gave her a thumb up. "I'm positive."

"By the way, where's Nagara-kun?" Kira questioned.

"Oh, he's in my room finishing up his progress report. He needs to send it to my mother by the end of the day."

"I see."

"I'll go check on him," Ichimaru said while leisurely walking towards the door. "Besides, I think now is a good time for us to do some male bonding of similar occupations."

"The way he says that makes things sound so wrong," Abarai whispered to his fellow Trio Knight members, who both nodded with agreement.

"I totally heard that you guys," Gin said with his trademark grin. "Be careful what you say or else karma is going to bite you in the butt."

Once the older captain of the Royal Guard has left the room, Renji said, "How scary he can be?"

"Who knows..." Shuhei said.

"Let's go princess, it's time for us to fill our stomachs with a delicious breakfast," Rangiku said happily while ushering Ume to come with her to the dining room.

"Okay," she replied.

* * *

Koji opened the large window in Princess Ume's room and released his messenger pigeon to fly in the sky. With his written message to the Queen in the Higashi Region attached to the bird, his part is done for now. "If things go well like they're supposed to, then it's only a matter of time..."

"Only a matter of time until what?" asked a voice.

Nagara turned around and jumped to see the gray haired teenager in his presence. "Ichimaru, what are you doing here?"

"I came to tell you that breakfast is ready."

"I see; I'll be downstairs in a minute."

"Very well, I shall go inform the others," Gin said while leaving the room. Once he stepped out and almost closed the door, the sly captain leaned against the nearby wall and quietly eavesdropped on the lone conversation spoken by Nagara Koji.

"Things are not going to be easy from here on out," he said. "These people are smarter than they look despite them just being a bunch of teenagers."

Ichimaru grinned before walking off deep into the hallway. _"Just as we suspected, all we need now is proper proof to present to Hinamori-chan. It's time to draw out Hi no Tori into the great outdoors."

* * *

_Hitsugaya loosened the reigns and got on his horse while his comrades, Urahara and Yoruichi going outside of the shop to bid him farewell. "Are you sure you got everything you needed?" the white and green stripped hat shop owner asked.

The horse let out a snort while the white haired thief replied, "Yes, I got everything I needed for my journey. Thanks again for helping me out."

"It's no problem," the violet haired woman said. "You better save her or else you'll never get laid."

Suddenly, the pink faced Captain of the Royal Guard shot her an embarrassed look. He exclaimed, "Oi Shihoin!"

Yoruichi placed her hands on her hips and laughed out loud. "I'm only messing with you, little Toshiro. You're always so funny dealing with romance. You never seem to know what you're supposed to do in a relationship."

"Isn't that obvious?" He turned his head to the side and mumbled, "I don't want to do something that can potentially hurt Momo..."

"Anyway, enough wasting time with us, you have a long way to get to the outskirts of Rukongai. It takes half a day to get there by horse."

"Plus, you're going to be crossing by quite a few obstacles along the way such as assassins, thieves, and rapiers," Urahara pointed out.

"Those people are the least of my worries. All I care about is Momo's safety," Hitsugaya said. "If any of those bastards dare touch her in any way, I'll kill them."

Kisuke whistled. "I almost feel sorry for the thieves."

"Don't be sorry for them; they deserve their rightful punishment."

"See you soon," Yoruichi said as she and her companion watched him put on his bandanna over his forehead and tie it together behind his head.

"Bye Aisu no Ryu, see you some other time," Urahara added as Toshiro fixed his snowy white hair so that it is well hidden under the black cloth. Then, he put on his mask over his mouth and tied it behind the back of his neck as well.

After putting on his cloak hood over his head, he said his final words to them, "Ja ne."

With a tight pull on the reigns, the horse let out a neigh before it was commanded to run in the eastern direction. After what felt so long, Hitsugaya is finally going to save his princess.

_"Hang on Momo, I'm coming."_

* * *

Hinamori stirred in her sleep before her eyes fluttered open. Seeing that her vision is unclear, she wondered, "Where...am I?"

All of a sudden, she heard the sound of glass breaking. Her chocolate brown eyes shot open on high alert. As she scanned the room around her, she concluded she is in some sort of hideout.

"I must have been kidnapped," she concluded. "I better get out of here and find the others."

Just as she is about to move around, she realized that something is holding her back. Her arms are handcuffed together with a long chain attached.

"Mou, what should I do now?"

Then, she heard loud noises from the room next door. Cautiously, the raven haired girl sat up from her seat and walked toward the closed door. Taking a peek through the small window, she saw a large group of thieves and bandits having fun drinking and eating with one another.

Momo let out a sigh of defeat. "Escaping from this place is not going to be easy. I better come up with something fast or else who knows what can happen to me."

* * *

**References**

_**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Ja ne**_ - Good Bye (_informal/casual_),_** Aisu no Ryu**_ - Ice Dragon; Hitsugaya's codename as the notorious thief**  
**

* * *

**Author's Note: **And there goes Hitsugaya to the rescue! How will he fair against the thieves of outer Rukongai? What will happen in the Hinamori Palace in the meantime? Well, you're just going to have to wait and find out in my next update. In the meantime, please review! Thanks. **  
**


	9. The Better Thief

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well, today's the first day of school for me. So, a few hours before I leave, I've posted another chapter to this story for you all to read. Yay! Anyways, thank you to my awesome reviewers: **tlg, icyangel27, HoneyFlower15, serenity095, KnowledgeandImagination, k a y - t h i, satomika, becomeafan, applestoapples, HyourinmaruIce, redpandagirl, NeonCookies O.o, Neko-cheung, athfdrizzle, maili-chan **_(x3)_. Without any further adieu, here is chapter nine. Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking."  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Nine:** The Better Thief

"Thanks for showing us around Rukongai," Princess Ume said to Matsumoto and Ichimaru as they walked through the streets of the lower and middle class people.

"It's really nothing," Rangiku replied happily.

"We just have to do a couple of errands here ourselves on behalf of Hinamori-chan," Gin commented.

"Is that so? What do you need to do?" Higashi asked.

"Follow us and you'll soon find out."

"Um, okay then..."

As the midnight violet haired princess followed behind the two members of the Royal Guard, the strawberry orange haired woman whispered to her childhood companion, "Oi Gin, just what are you planning to do?"

"It's nothing really, I'm just playing with my prey," Ichimaru replied. "Besides, you heard what Hitsugaya has explained to you. We have to find a way to expose her that she really is the thief we've been looking for. What better way to do that than to make her know of the existence of the little captain's counterpart."

"Counterpart?" she asked before the answer dawned to her. "Oh..."

He grinned with delight. "It seems like you know what I'm talking about."

"But Gin, if she is who she is and she knows his identity, then it could be a big problem for us."

"We're just going to have to gamble with it and hope that she doesn't find out his true identity," the gray haired captain said.

"What are you two talking about?" Ume asked.

The two Royal Guard members looked over their shoulders to see the princess standing in between them. Matsumoto let out a fake smile while Ichimaru merely grinned like he usually does. "Just stuff we needed to take care of once we get to our destination like donating some money to the people who are in need of some financial assistance."

"Oh, do you usually do this?"

"Let's see; we started doing this since the whole incident in the Hinamori Palace has ended, isn't that right Ran-chan?"

The strawberry orange haired female swordsman nodded with agreement. "Around that time, Hitsugaya and I started working in the palace with the rest of you."

"What inspired you to start the donations?"

"It's actually a funny story," Rangiku said. "It revolves around a thief who used to hang around here in Rukongai and Seireitei."

Ume blinked as her interest suddenly sparked. "A thief?"

"You got that right," Gin agreed. "It's actually a thief who used to caused us a lot of trouble in the past."

"What is his or her name?"

"He is known as the notorious thief, Aisu no Ryu," Matsumoto explained.

"Aisu no Ryu..." Higashi said.

"He used to steal from the people of Seireitei months ago in order to help his people living here in Rukongai," Ichimaru said. "At the time, our former general was the one pulling the strings in the palace and the two lands here was separated by a large barrier wall in between."

"Really? What happened to him?"

"We're not quite sure to be exact," Matsumoto lied. _"Actually, he's currently out to save his princess." _

"He just stopped stealing altogether ever since the great battle inside the Hinamori Palace has ended," Gin continued. "The other reason he stopped committing thievery is because there is no need to anymore."

"I see..." Ume said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Is there something wrong?" Rangiku asked.

Looking at the strawberry orange haired woman, she quickly shook her head. "No, there's nothing wrong; I just kept hearing things about Hi no Tori and comparing her motives to Aisu no Ryu's."

"Well, I can see why you're thinking that way because they're both thieves. In my opinion, the notorious thief had pure intentions to help others. The people here in Rukongai has regarded him as a hero."

"A hero, huh?" she wondered. _"I wonder how that feels like to save others."_

"Ah, here we are," Gin said. "It's time to go inside."

"Coming, princess?" Matsumoto asked.

After snapping back into reality, the Princess of the Higashi Region nodded with agreement and followed the two guards inside the house.

* * *

When Momo looked through the small window to see the great outdoors, she saw the sun is already starting to set towards the horizon. She turned around, closed her eyes, and let out a defeated sigh. _"I hope my plan works out." _

She carefully sat down on the cold floor and leaned her back against the wall. Hinamori slowly moved her head back and began shaking her head back and forth. Using the friction, it caused her hairpins to loosen and fall onto the ground. At the same time, her long raven hair fell down to her shoulders. She then turned her back toward one of the hairpins and used her hands to pick it up. From there, the princess began picking on the handcuff lock.

After a few minutes of playing with her lock, the Princess of Seireitei has finally set herself free. She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness it worked. I'm glad I was able to put some of Rangiku-san's teachings into good use."

All of a sudden, the door slammed opened, causing the princess to jump. "Well well, it seems like our captive princess is finally conscious," said one of the thieves.

"Look here, somehow she is able to break herself free of the handcuffs," the other thief commented.

"Then that means she's no ordinary princess. As a matter of fact, she probably has a lot of spunk."

A third thief walked up to Momo and took hold of her wrist. Immediately, she began resisting by trying to break free of his grasp. However, her strength is nothing compared to his. Soon after, her other wrist is grabbed by another thief. "Let me go!" Hinamori exclaimed as she is dragged into the next room where the other bandits have gathered.

They forcefully pushed her onto the rough ground. When the peach girl recovered, she looked up and gasped. She is surrounded by a group of five or six masked men. Two of them took hold of her arms so that she is unable to fight back.

"I said let me go!"

"Let's have fun with her," one of the thieves said as he lowered to her level.

Though she couldn't see it, Momo could tell that he is grinning with delight. Her heart began to race, knowing exactly what they're thinking about. Suddenly, she began thrashing. "No, no! Leave me alone!"

"No can do princess. We can do whatever we want with you."

Just as he took hold of her kimono, Hinamori let out a scream.

"You should be happy."

"No, never!"

"Hey, look what she has," one of the other thieves said.

She felt something snatched away from the inside of her kimono. Momo opened her eyes and gasped. "Give it back!"

"What a rare pendant you got here," he said while observing it. "You can get a few thousand from selling this."

"Give it back to me! It's a birthday gift for Toshiro!"

"Toshiro?"

"He's my boyfriend and one of the two captains in the Royal Guard."

It is when the band of thieves burst out with laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"Even though he is of the elite class, it doesn't mean he's able to find us. Besides, Seireitei people don't know their way around Rukongai especially in these parts."

"Don't underestimate him!" Momo snapped. "He's no ordinary Captain of the Royal Guard!"

"Yeah sure...either way, when he does come, not only your virginity is gone, but you'll be already dead."

"No!" she yelled, struggling to break free. "Toshiro, help!"

One of the thieves got down on his knees and began creeping up to the screaming princess. "He can't hear you because he's not here!"

During this time, tears began dripping down her cheeks. She shut her eyes tightly and began pleading for her boyfriend's arrival._ "Toshiro...please come and save me!"_

All of a sudden, sounds of agonizing grunts, groans, and screams can be heard from the next room. Moments later, a thief messenger came running into the room. "What is going on?" said one of men in the group of thieves.

"W-We're under attack!"

"What? Is it someone from the Hinamori Palace?"

He shook his head. "Actually, another thief is attacking us."

"Another thief?"

"Shit, he must want the princess for himself," said another thief.

"That's not the only thing," the messenger replied. "Thief that is attacking us is none other than Ais-"

However, his words were cut off by a force hitting him on the back of his neck. Soon, he lost his conscious and fell to the ground. Upon noticing what happened to him, the bandits, thieves, and the Princess of Seireitei raised their heads to see the new face in the room. "Hand over the princess," the black clothed thief commanded.

Momo's eyes widened at recognition of the voice. She knows it from anywhere because it is the same voice that the great notorious thief would always impersonate as. _"Toshiro..."_

"No way thief! We kidnapped her first!"

All of a sudden, Hitsugaya raised his long sword that is in his right hand and cut the nearest thief that is standing close to him. The injured thief let out an agonizing scream before falling onto the ground. He said, "If that's your answer, then I shall defeat you all in order to gain right of claiming the Princess of Seireitei as mine."

"Don't act cocky; you can't defeat us all. You are only one thief versus a whole army of us."

"Numbers don't matter to me; it is quality that does." Toshiro held up his sword in front of him. "Come and get me if you dare."

As his opponents came rushing at him, the white haired thief ran into the crowd and engaged in battle against them. In the meantime, one of the thieves, who are sitting in the sidelines with the princess, folded his arms over his chest and began thinking. "He looks familiar. Where have I seen him?"

Shurikens and kunais are thrown in different directions causing the enemy thieves to be pinned by the clothes to the nearby walls or become incapacitated on the spot. Hitsugaya leaped over the group of coming thieves and dropped three small spheres on the ground. Once he landed safely on his two feet, the bombs exploded, sending his enemies flying in different directions. Noticing that he is not paying attention, three other thieves charged at their single opponent. However, the emerald-teal eyed thief sensed danger and quickly blocked against the attacks with his sword. Then, a three against one fight has begun.

"A long bladed sword which he puts on his back..." His eyes suddenly widened upon realization. The thief turned to his leader and exclaimed, "There's no mistaken it! H-He's Aisu no Ryu!"

"What?" he replied. "The notorious thief from Rukongai?"

"What is he doing here? Actually, why would he be here? All he steals are valuable items, not princesses."

"Yes, but there is one exception. He once stole a princess from her kingdom not too long ago."

They heard a yell of pain. Suddenly, the leader felt a cold blade against the front of his neck. He looked back and noticed that Aisu no Ryu is in his presence. "You got that right; I stole the Princess of Seireitei. Now, I'm here to steal her again from the likes of you."

The enemy thief let out a hiss. "You'll never get your hands on her."

"Oh really?" Toshiro asked. "Guess where she is right now?"

The raven haired girl is not in his possession anymore. Instead, she ran out the open door that Hitsugaya used to come in. "Shit!"

Just as he is about to run after her, the white haired thief got in the way and threw a dark sphere at him. All of a sudden, gas is released from it and began clouding the area. Thieves began coughing a few times before they were suddenly knocked out. "Argh, thi-this is...slee-ping...gas."

Once all of them were on the ground unconscious, Aisu no Ryu slowly walked toward the door. He stopped for a moment and took a last look at them. His eyes narrowed. "Well that's what happens when you don't have open windows in your hideouts."

As he walks off, he found himself losing his balance. Quickly placing his free hand on the nearby wall for support, Toshiro let out a small hiss.

"Stupid old man Urahara, he made this sleeping gas stronger than it's supposed to be," he cursed. "Next time I go back there, I demand a partial refund for almost getting my plan to backfire on me."

* * *

Hinamori waited patiently for her boyfriend's arrival next to the horse that was left in the bushes. She let out a sigh and said, "I hope he comes out of there safely."

All of a sudden, she heard the sound of an explosion from the hideout she was held captive in. She placed a hand over her mouth and let out a gasp. She began to worry about him. What if he got caught in the blast?

"Toshiro..."

"You called?" a voice suddenly asked.

Momo turned her head to the side and immediately jumped with surprise. Somehow, Hitsugaya is suddenly at her side without any major scratches or serious injuries inflicted on him. She let out a pout. "Mou, stop surprising me like that!"

Aisu no Ryu chuckled and put down his hood. He asked, "Are you alright, Momo?"

She let out a soft smile and walked up to the thief. As she is dazed in his eyes, her right hand took hold of his black bandanna and took it off, exposing his snowy white hair out. With her other hand, she moved his mouth mask down to his neck before the peach girl leaned over and gave him a loving kiss on the lips.

Feeling the familiar loving sensation in their hearts and their thoughts, the two lovers closed their eyes, wrapped their arms around one another and savoured the special moment together.

"Thank you for coming to save me, Toshiro."

Hitsugaya smiled and gave her a loving hug. "I couldn't imagine another day without you. I missed you."

"I miss you too. I never thought I would see the day where Aisu no Ryu runs around in Rukongai once more."

"Neither did I; I thought my thief days were over, but I guess not."

He leaned back to see the pretty face of Hinamori Momo. "Let's get out of here."

She nodded with agreement. Her white haired boyfriend helped get her on the horse before he got on as well. After sitting in front of her, he took hold of the reigns and looked back at her.

"Hold on tight."

The young princess wrapped her arms around his waist and did as she was told to do. With a flick, he commanded the horse to run to a place far away from the other thieves. Anytime from here on out, they can regain conscious and start chasing them. "Toshiro, this is not the way back to the palace," Momo said.

"I know," he replied. "Right now, it is dark outside. We might as well find a place to set up camp for the night. Luckily, I found the perfect place for us to stay."

"I see..."

He glanced over his shoulder to give his girlfriend a smile. "Don't worry; you're going to love it."

Though he has said that, the princess couldn't help, but feel a little uneasy about it. "If you say so..."

* * *

When they arrived at their destination, Hitsugaya stopped the horse in the middle of the off-road so that his princess could take a look at the scenery around her. "Here we are."

"Wow, it's so pretty," Hinamori exclaimed as she looked around. They are in the middle of a large forest filled with a vast variety of tall frosted trees, icicles, and a large frozen lake. "What is this place?"

"This place is called the Forest of Separation."

"Separation? Why is it called that?"

Toshiro pulled on the reigns and commanded the horse to walk along the side of the lake. "People usually visit this place just to get away from their troubles back home."

Momo suddenly let out a suppressed giggle. "Toshiro, we're not having any troubles back at the palace."

Aisu no Ryu smiled back and replied, "I know, but I want some time where the two of us can just hang out together."

She leaned over and rested her head on his back. With her chocolate brown eyes closed, she let out a relieved sigh. "You silly thief..."

When they got off of the horse, they stopped at a large cave. As they were about to take shelter inside, Momo noticed something falling onto the ground. She looked up into the clouded sky and saw the white particles. Holding out her palm, she watched a few of them land and melt on her hand. "It's snowing."

All of a sudden, a thought resurfaced in her mind. Immediately, she clutched her hand and placed it on her chest. Tilting her head forward, she became a little sad. Hitsugaya stopped and looked back at the upset princess. Concerned for her, he walked to her side and asked, "What's wrong, Momo?"

"I-I'm sorry."

He raised an eyebrow, not understanding why she is apologizing to him. "What is there to be sorry about?"

"Today is your birthday. I-I had a present ready to give to you, but the thieves took it away from me."

Toshiro let out a defeated sigh and placed a hand on her shoulder. That single touch got her attention. "It's alright, Momo; you don't have to give me one."

Upon raising both her fists up, the girl gave him the teary eyes. "But still; I wanted your birthday to be special!"

He offered a genuine smile, leaned over and whispered in her ear, "It's already special as it is and I'll prove it to you."

The white haired Captain of the Royal Guard took a few steps back from the princess, kneels down on one leg, and takes out a small velvet box from the front inside of his kimono. He opened the cap and showed the gift inside for her to see. Blown away by what he just did, Momo placed a hand over her mouth to cover her surprised gasp. Her loving boyfriend just offered a beautiful silver one carat diamond ring for her to accept. She whispered, "Oh my gosh..."

Satisfied of her reaction to the whole situation, Hitsugaya said, "Momo, I know I have already asked you this question before, but will you marry me?"

"Of course...Of course, I will Toshiro!" Hinamori threw her arms around her love and gave him a big loving embrace. "It's so beautiful! Where did you get it?"

The notorious thief let out a smirk. "I stole it."

There was a brief moment of silence where the princess blinked a few times. "Eh?"

Suppressing a short laugh into a snort, Aisu no Ryu replied, "Relax; I was only kidding. I bought it with my own money."

She folded her arms over her chest and let out a small pout. "Mou..."

After standing up on his two feet again, he removed the ring from its box with his right hand and put away the velvet box back into the inside of his kimono. With his left hand, he took hold of his girlfriend's left hand and placed the ring through her ring finger. After seeing the beautiful piece of jewelry fit her as it is supposed to, he held both her hands with his own, raised his head up, and said to the Princess of Seireitei, "I love you, Momo."

Hinamori smiled back and returned her sentiments likewise. "I love you too, Toshiro."

They leaned over and gave each other a long blissful loving kiss.

* * *

**References**

_**Aisu no Ryu**_ - Ice Dragon; Hitsugaya's codename as the notorious thief**  
**

* * *

**Author's Note:** Kyaa! A proper proposal and lots of HitsuHina love in the air! Gotta love the moment while it lasts, isn't that right? xD Anyway, what will happen next? Well, you just have to wait and find out in the next chapter. (_I'll do my best to update as soon as possible._) In the meantime, please review! Thanks. **  
**


	10. Two Thieves

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note: **AHHH! THIS STORY'S OVERDUE FOR AN UPDATE! GAH! I'M TERRIBLY SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG! (_Blasted school..._) Anyway, thank you everyone for being so patient with me especially my wonderful reviewers: **Samantha, becomeafan, applestoapples, tlg, serenity095, NeonCookies O.o, icyangel27, k a y - t h i, KnowledgeandImagination, maili-chan, HoneyFlower15, Neko-cheung, Kaye. Shirogane, athfdrizzle, MoonLightView, HyourinmaruIce, redpandagirl**. Without any further delay, here is chapter ten. Enjoy! **  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking."  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Ten:** Two Thieves

Princess Ume opened the window to feel the cold breeze coming into the room. After she is all dressed in her thief outfit, she looked over her shoulder to see the Queen's loyal guard standing in her presence. "You know what to do."

Looking back at Koji, she silently nodded with agreement.

"In the meantime, I will keep the others busy."

"Okay." With that said the thief girl stood on top of the windowsill and jumped out. As she is falling, she took hold of a thick branch on a nearby tree and hung on. When she is stopped, the female thief slid down the tree and landed on the ground safely. Hi no Tori closed her eyes and let out a relieved sigh. "Alright, it's time to get going."

She turned her body toward the palace walls. Over them is the place she wants to go.

"It's time to find the notorious thief, Aisu no Ryu."

* * *

After traveling together for several long hours, the young lovers have finally returned to their home kingdom. As they smiled with content, Toshiro glanced over his shoulder and gave his fiance a loving kiss. "Welcome home Momo."

"Thank you, it feels great to be back," she replied.

As Hitsugaya guiding the horse toward the palace, Momo leaned on her boyfriend's back and cuddled against him. In response, he glanced over his shoulder and let out a content smile. He is glad to have his princess back at his side once more.

"Toshiro."

"Yes Momo?"

"Does Ume and Nagara-kun know about...well, your other identity?"

"All Ichimaru and the rest of us told them is _I'm going to rescue you_, that's all."

"Oh..."

"It's best for them not to say anything about my life as Aisu no Ryu," he further explained. "Besides, I don't plan on continuing this in the long run."

"Yeah, I know. You don't have a reason to become the notorious thief when the people of Rukongai are not living in poverty."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a light hug for reassurance. From there, they began leaning towards one another. Just as they were about to give each other a kiss, their moment was short lived by a loud scream. They jerked back and raised their heads on high alert in the direction the sound is coming from. "What was that?" Hinamori asked the narrow eyed teenager.

Without a word, he took out his black bandanna and put it on over his head. Shortly after, he put on his mouth mask.

"Toshiro?"

Hitsugaya got off the horse and looked up at the concerned princess. "You head back to the palace first," he instructed. "I'll go to where the noise is coming from and check things out."

She slowly nodded with agreement. "Okay then, be careful."

"I will, love. I'll see you soon."

With that said the white haired thief left his princess' side and ran off to investigate the matter.

* * *

Hi no Tori were fleeing from a group of angry citizens after stealing their precious treasures. "Get the thief! Don't let him get away!"

As they threw various weapons such as pitchforks and clubs, her head turned to them, showing an amused grin before running further away from them. "Come and get me if you can!"

"That bastard!" another one of them exclaimed. "He's mocking us!"

To her, those people are mere insects: small and insignificant. All she cares about is the possible arrival of the great notorious thief Captain Ichimaru, Matsumoto, and the people of Rukongai view as a hero. _"Even if you're a saviour, I want you to come out, Aisu no Ryu. I want us to meet face to face."_

All of a sudden, she saw something swiftly pass her eyes. In reaction to it, she jerked back and stopped in her tracks. When the female thief turned her head to the side, her eyes widened with shock. If she didn't notice it before, she would have been killed instantly by the several shurikens stuck on the wall. By the time the citizens caught up with her, a few of them took a moment to catch their breath. At the same time, one of them exclaimed, "You have no place to run Hi no Tori!"

However, she didn't listen to a word they said. As a matter of fact, her full attention is on the black clothed figure that is standing on the nearby roof, looking down on her. "So, you're Hi no Tori, the thief everyone has been talking about lately," the white haired thief said in his disguised voice.

Ume's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I think it's safe to assume that you're Aisu no Ryu."

Hitsugaya turned his head to the side. "Who knows..."

"Aisu no Ryu?" one of the citizens asked.

"What is he doing here?" another person wondered.

The male thief raised his right hand and gripped it onto the hilt of his long sword. After drawing it from the sheath on his back, he leaped into the air. With both his hands gripped onto his weapon over his head, he slammed it down at the female thief. In retaliation, Hi no Tori drew her sword, held it out horizontally, and successfully defended against the attack. While they are in a dead lock battle for dominance, Hitsugaya decided to change his pace. He took a step back, allowing Hi no Tori to overtake him. Lucky for him, she lost her balance. Using that open opportunity, the sixteen year old teenager changed the grip on his sword and swung it toward her side.

Though the female thief managed to evade it, she heard a small tearing noise. Her eyes widened as she watched the clever thief snatch her precious items away with one swift movement. Once he pulled back his sword, it caused the bag to loose its grip on the blade. As it was in midair, Toshiro caught it with a single hand. Holding it out in open view, he said to her, "If you're going to be a thief, you better do a good job at doing so. Who knows when you're going to meet someone, who is of higher skill, steal all the items you've worked so hard to get."

The princess in disguise narrowed her eyes at him as she watched the thief give back the items she stole back to their owners. "What are you doing here dressed up as the thief, H-"

Just as the citizens were about to further questioning him, Hitsugaya replied, "Sorry, I have some business to take care of right now. I'll explain things on a later date."

Understanding what the former Rukongai citizen is talking about, they nodded with agreement. "Okay, thanks for your help."

With that said, they left the two thieves alone.

_"I'm not going to lose to him,"_ she thought. "I'm happy to hear that your skill measures up to what the people around here say about you. However, this place isn't big enough for two thieves. I suggest that we battle it out! If I win, you are to never show your face around here again and vise versa!"

"Are you sure about that? I'm the one who has the advantage here. Besides, this is the place where I was born and grew up in."

"Home advantage doesn't matter to me." Ume pointed her blade at him. "It is skill that matters. Put your pride on the line, Aisu no Ryu!"

The Royal Guard Captain in disguise let out a defeated sigh. "Very well then, let's fight."

From under her mask, a grin appeared on her face. She raised her ninjato up in front and got into battle position.

For the next couple of moments, the two thieves kept their eyes on one another, waiting for the other to make the first move. During this time, people of Rukongai and Seireitei seek for shelter in their homes or in nearby stores just in case the battle between thieves gets rough. "Mama, what is Nii-san doing here and why is he disguised as Aisu no Ryu?" one of the children asked her parent. "I thought he wasn't going to dress up like that anymore."

"Shh, let him do what he needs to do," she replied. "He's trying to chase away Hi no Tori out of this town."

Knowing that waiting for her is going to take forever, Hitsugaya decided to make the first move. He took a step in where he is in her attack range. Immediately, she retaliated back. With a step forward, she trusted her sword toward his neck. However, Toshiro made his counterattack by raising his sword up and parry against hers. As she is regaining her balance, he used this opportunity to go down to the ground. With his hands supporting him, he did a low spin kick and tripped the female thief. Luckily for her, she regained her footing and dodged against the other thief's mid ranged sword attack by doing a single handed hand stand. Hi no Tori created some distance between her and her opponent so that she can catch her breath.

In the meantime, Aisu no Ryu kept his eyes locked onto her in case she plans to make another move. "Why?" he heard her ask. "Why do you steal for these people? I don't think they have never done anything for you to make you return the favour."

He raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out her motives. Why would a thief like her ask him such a question? Nevertheless, he answered, "I steal because I don't want them to suffer and live the life I have experienced years ago. Why do you steal? Is it for fame, riches, or justice?"

It is when she lowered her head and replied in an audible voice, "I have lost sight of the reason for quite some time now."

_"She lost sight of her reason?"_ he wondered. "Could it be that she doesn't want to st-"

Before he can complete his thought, she immediately charged at him. Another round of clashing swords have begun.

In the middle of the swinging exchange, Hi no Tori took a step back and fled to higher ground. Refusing to let her get away, Aisu no Ryu followed her to the rooftop. By the time he got on, several thin needles are thrown in his direction. He took out a kunai (which is hidden in his kimono) with his left hand, raised it up to his face, and quickly knocked away every single one of them without any physical contact inflicted on him. With no time to waste, he threw the kunai toward her face. She easily anticipated the move and dodged it by stepping to one side. However, when her foot made contact on a layer of slippery ice, she immediately lost her balance. She let out a scream.

Upon noticing that she is dangerously going to fall off the roof, Toshiro rushed to her side and grabbed her wrist. For a while, the two thieves slid on the icy surface until they met a dead end. Ume thought that she and Aisu no Ryu are going to meet their end. However, it turned out the other way. He ended up hanging onto the roof's edge with a single hand while holding onto her by the waist. She raised her head and asked, "W-Why did you save me? I thought we are enemies."

Knowing that it is a safe distance, Hitsugaya landed onto the ground and gently put her down. After brushing the snow off his clothes, he answered, "We are enemies. However, I can't stand seeing another person potentially lose their life over something very trivial. You still have a lot to live for instead of doing this all day long for your amusement."

Toshiro looked up in the cloudy sky and watched the snow starting to fall down to the ground.

"It's starting to snow."

Ume looked up as well. For the first time in a long while, she found that being under this weather is good to experience. Taking another look at the notorious thief, thoughts about his bravery surfaced. He saved her life because he sees her as a person, not an enemy. It is something that never happened to her. _"He's smart, kind, and brave. Maybe he can understand what I'm going through." _

Under her mask, she suddenly felt her cheeks heat up. Upon noticing her change in behaviour, the princess in disguise quickly turned around and began fleeing from the area. When Aisu no Ryu noticed, he held out his hand and called out, "Oi, wait!"

However, she was already gone. With that confirmed Hitsugaya closed his eyes and let out a defeated sigh. Once again, he has let the female thief get away.

"It's back to the drawing board."

* * *

**References**

_**Aisu no Ryu**_ - Ice Dragon; Toshiro's codename as the notorious thief, _**Hi no Tori**_ - Fire Bird; Princess Ume's codename as the female thief, _**Shuriken **_- Ninja Star, _**Ninjato**_ - A straight bladed ninja sword, **_Nii-san_**** - **Older Brother **  
**

* * *

**Author's Note:** O.o Things are going to get complicated in the romance department. What is going to happen next? Well, you just have to wait and find out in the next chapter!

On a side note, since I've epically failed to keep my updates for this story on time, I've decided to do the following: starting from today, I will be updating each week while alternating between my two stories. For example, I've updated this story today. Next week, I will be updating for my other story, Forget Me Not. The week after that, I'll update for this story and so forth. Hopefully, this plan works out well and co-operates with my homework time. (_Blasted school..._)

Once again, I am truly sorry for keeping you all waiting and thank you for your patience. Please review! Thanks.


	11. Meant to Be

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yes, I'm on time for this week's update! Special thanks goes to my wonderful reviewers: **k a y - t h i, KnowledgeandImagination, applestoapples, BLEACHISAWESOMEANDIMAWESOME XP, becomeafan, athfdrizzle, satomika, icyangel27, anime16, sweet miracle 'michu 17', HyourimaruIce, serenity095, superattackpea **_aka _**Samantha, NeonCookies O.o, Kaye. Shirogane****, redpandagirl****, justhewayouare, peachesandstrawberries, prettykat**. Thank you so much for your support! Without any further delay, here is chapter eleven. Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking."  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Eleven:** Meant to Be

Princess Ume let out a dreamy sigh as she sat by the window in the living room, looking at the outdoor winter scenery. For the last couple of days, all she has been thinking about is the notorious thief that saved her life from possible death. She sighed again. _"Aisu no Ryu, I wonder what you are doing right now."_

During this time, Princess Momo came into the room with a tray of tea and cookies in her hands. She noticed her relative acting a little different than she usually does. After placing the tray on the table, the peach girl walked up to her and asked, "What's wrong Ume? Are you feeling okay? Do you need to take some medicine?"

Higashi snapped back to reality and turned her attention to the Princess of Seireitei. She quickly replied, "Oh, I'm alright; there's nothing wrong with me."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded with agreement. "Yes."

Hinamori picked up the teapot by the lid and the handle. She began serving green tea for the both of them. Once she is done, the raven haired girl pulled up a chair and sat next to her cousin. No words for the next few minutes because the two princesses were busy eating cookies, drinking tea, and thinking amongst themselves. All of a sudden, Ume turned to Momo and asked, "When did you realize your love for Captain Hitsugaya?"

At first, she was a little surprised at the question thrown at her from out of the blue, but it did not bother her. She placed a finger on her chin and closed her eyes, recalling the beginning of their blossoming relationship. The peach girl cracked a smile, opened her eyes, resumed her attention to her and answered, "It was back then when Toshiro was grieving over the loss of his grandmother. I didn't want him to stay depressed for long. So, I was at his side, trying to cheer him up. One way or another, I helped him get over it. After that, somehow...we just shared our first kiss. From that point on, I understood my feelings; I fell in love with him."

"How does it feel to be in love with him?"

"It feels...unreal. Sometimes, I wonder if I'm still living in a dream," Hinamori said, playing with the ring her boyfriend has given to her. "But it isn't; this is reality. I'm his girlfriend and future wife."

"I see."

Suddenly, a thought came into mind as Momo placed her hands together. "By any chance you asked me that question because you have a crush on someone?"

It is when Ume felt her cheeks heat up a bit. She lowered and turned her head to the side, trying to hide the expression on her face, but Hinamori is already aware of it.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." The princess smiled. "It will be a secret between us cousins."

With one look at her, Higashi began to realize something. After spending a couple of weeks with her, she has never really gotten to know the girl very well. She was too busy worrying about fulfilling the duties that her mother has requested her to do during her stay here. Ume played with her fingers for a bit before mumbling, "Yeah, I think I do."

"Really? Who is the lucky person you're interested in?"

She let out a dreamy sigh. Turning her attention to the scenery through the window, she answered, "We will meet again that's for sure. It is meant to be."

"I see," Momo replied. _"It sort of reminds me of when Toshiro and I recently became a couple..."_

* * *

Without any warning, Hitsugaya raised an arm up and sneezed into his kimono sleeve. "Are you alright, Captain Hitsugaya?" Izuru asked with concern. "Are you coming down with a cold?"

He let out a sigh before replying to the Trio Knight. "I'm fine, Kira. There's nothing wrong with me."

"If Hinamori finds out about it, I bet she would totally flip out," Renji commented.

"No kidding," Toshiro agreed. "She becomes such a Bed-Wetter when it comes to looking after my health."

"Even though you say that, deep inside, you're really happy that you're receiving such great attention from her," Rangiku said while gently elbowing him on the side.

The white haired captain let out an irritated growl and shooed her away. "Leave me alone, Matsumoto. There are already enough people poking fun of me."

She smiled back. "It can't be helped, Hitsugaya. You and Hinamori are just too adorable together!"

He folded his arms over his chest and shot her an icy glare.

"Okay, I'll shut up now."

"My my, aren't you all supposed to be doing your jobs?" asked a voice. Heads turned to see Captain Ichimaru and Hisagi joining in on the conversation. "You all are supposed to be guarding the front gate for possible intruders."

"Yes, we were supposed to do that until _someone here_ decided to mess with me," Toshiro replied, keeping a close eye on the strawberry orange haired swordsman.

Unfortunately, it didn't faze her at all. She just happily smiled with delight. Likewise, Gin grinned with amusement. "Really? How interesting..."

He then gave him a stern look. "You two really have nothing better to do, don't you?"

"Who knows..."

"You got that right!" Matsumoto agreed.

Hitsugaya sighed with defeat. Unfortunately for him, with the two childhood friends together, they are just plain difficult to take care of. "Anyway, where's Nagara?" he asked. "I haven't seen him with Princess Higashi when I checked up on Momo."

"Come to think of it," Hisagi said. "I haven't seen him either."

"Maybe Ran-chan has finally influenced the guy to slack off for once," Gin suggested. All of a sudden, Matsumoto slapped him on the back of his head. The gray haired winced and placed his hand on the slapped area. "Ow, what was that about?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and turned her body to the side. She replied, "I don't know; for some reason, I just felt like hitting you."

"Now that's mean..."

"Right now, it's time to focus," Toshiro said. "I'll go back inside to check up on Hinamori and Princess Higashi before I walk around the palace, looking for Nagara. The rest of you are to stay on guard and follow Ichimaru's instructions when necessary."

"Yes sir!" the Trio Knights and Matsumoto exclaimed.

With a nod of agreement, he walked past the older genius saying, "I'll leave things to you."

A grin appeared on the older teenager's face. "Okay little captain; whatever you say."

With that said, Toshiro walked back into the Hinamori Palace to check up on his girlfriend and her cousin.

Once he is gone, Gin turned to his fellow allies and said, "Well everyone, shall we proceed with our daily duties?"

"Yes sir," Kira, Abarai, Hisagi, and Matsumoto replied in unison.

After that, Rangiku and Shuhei went one way while Renji and Izuru went the other. Together, they will do their best to protect their princess.

* * *

There was a gentle knock on the door. In response to the noise, the Princess of Seireitei called out to the person to enter the living room. On the other side of the door is the familiar face of her loving boyfriend. "Hey Momo, how are you doing?" Hitsugaya asked after closing the door behind him. He walked up to his sweet heart and gave her a kiss.

Hinamori smiled. "Hey Toshiro, what brings you here?"

"I came to check up on you in case anything has happened while I'm away."

"You're such a worrywart."

"I'm just doing my job as described."

Momo slowly shook her head, knowing that it's not the only reason he is looking out for her. "You're so modest, you know that?"

He then turned to the other princess, who is still at the window, daydreaming. At first, he raised an eyebrow, but then he turned to his fiancée and asked, "Is Princess Higashi alright?"

"The reason Ume is looking dazed like that is because she thinking about her crush."

"Is that so?" She nodded with agreement. "Now that I look back on it, it sort of reminds me of how you used to daydream about me."

"W-What are you talking about?"

Toshiro let out an amusing smirk. "Don't tell me you have already forgotten; you used to do that back when you were living at my place."

Hinamori's cheeks turned a few shades darker. "W-Well, it can't be helped! At the time, I wasn't aware of my feelings for you! Besides, I wasn't the only one who has the love syndrome. You were always trying to stay at my side wherever we go!"

"The only reason that happened was because I didn't want you to get lost in Rukongai."

"Sure you do...stop denying your feelings for me, Shiro-chan. You loved me since we first met and will continue to feel that way until the day you die."

"Look whose trying to be the observant one? I know you feel the same way too. That is why I highly doubt you'll break up with me and find someone else to love."

"Princess Ume, Princess Hinamori," Koji interrupted upon running into the room. "Oh Hitsugaya, you're here too."

"Is there something wrong?" Toshiro asked.

He walked up to the white haired captain, holding out a torn piece of paper. "Actually, one of your guardsmen wants me to give this to you."

The young captain accepted his offer and took a moment to analyze it. Judging from the tear, someone must have delivered this to the palace by an arrow shot or a thumb tack posting. He read the paper's written contents. His eyes soon narrowed.

"What's wrong Toshiro?" Hinamori asked.

"Tonight, Hi no Tori plans to steal the Mystic Fang from the palace."

She placed a hand over mouth. "No, she can't do that! That's my father's treasure!"

"Don't worry; I'll make sure that she doesn't get her hands on it."

Upon listening to the conversation, Ume's eyes were on Koji. He responded back with a serious look and a short nod._ "I see; so, it's time to get moving, huh?"_

She let out a silent sigh.

"Let's go and inform the others about this," Hitsugaya said.

Momo nodded with agreement. "Hai."

Toshiro then turned to the Princess of the Higashi Region and her bodyguard. "You two come with us just in case Hi no Tori decides ambush us now. She hasn't declared what time she is going to arrive."

"I understand," Ume replied.

"Alright, let's go."

As Hitsugaya escorted the two princesses to see the Trio Knights, Ichimaru, and Matsumoto, Nagara was following them closely from behind. He suddenly let out a grin. _"It won't be long now until things around here turn very interesting." _

All of a sudden, they felt the ground below them starting to shake. Everyone immediately got down to the floor and braced themselves in case there is any falling debris coming down. Once the small eruption was over, Hinamori asked, "What was that?"

"An explosion happened somewhere nearby," Toshiro explained. "It seems like Hi no Tori has already begun to make her move."

"Hitsugaya-taicho!" called out a voice. As the lovers got back on their feet, Kira, Hisagi, and Renji caught up with them. "Are you two alright?"

"We're fine; what exactly is happening?"

"Apparently, an explosion happened in the western quadrant of the palace," Shuhei explained.

"Ichimaru-taicho and Rangiku-san are already on their way there to check it out," Abarai added.

"Alright then, things are going to get dangerous from here on out," Hitsugaya instructed as he drew his long sword from his back. "You guys are to look after Momo and flee from this place. Don't even dare try coming back to help us, do you understand?"

"Yes sir!" the Trio Knights exclaimed in unison.

"Good; my suggestion is to hide somewhere in Rukongai. It will be easier for me to find you after this whole matter has been dealt with."

"Be careful Toshiro," Hinamori said.

It is when he turned to his princess and gave her a kiss. "I will Momo; we'll be together again soon."

Despite being dazed, she slowly nodded with agreement. "Hai."

He then resumed his attention to his allies. "I'm counting on you three."

"Leave it to us!" Renji said. "We won't let you down!"

"Alright, now go!"

With that said, the Trio Knights lead the princess away, leaving the white haired captain to perform his duties here. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. By the time a thought has dawned to him, he raised his head and looked around.

"Where have Princess Higashi and Nagara disappeared to?"

* * *

**References**

_**Aisu no Ryu**_ - Ice Dragon; Hitsugaya's codename as the notorious thief, _**Hi no Tori **_- Fire Bird; Princess Ume's codename as the female thief, _**Hai **_- Yes, _**Taicho**_ - Captain

* * *

**Author's Note:** Oh shat, the palace has been attacked! What is going to happen next? Well, you just have to wait and find out in my next update! In the meantime, please review! Thanks.


	12. Invasion

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note****: **Phew, I'm exhausted from typing this long chapter. Anyway, special thanks go to **k a y - t h i, tlg, icyangel27, HyourinmaruIce, KnowledgeandImagination, Kaye. Shirogane, peachesandstrawberries, OMG an update xD, fluffy, sasuhina vs. hitsuhina, MoonLightView, cause I'm cool like that, HitsuHina addict, applestoapples, immasurvivor, bengara-koushi, serenity095, satomika, athfdrizzle, ironmaiden, teenage dream, superattackpea, becomeafan, m, anime16, ilovebankaishowcode003, Filipino and proud. **Thank you so much for your support! Here is chapter twelve. Enjoy!

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking."_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Twelve:** Invasion

Ichimaru and Matsumoto ran through the hallway in an attempt to get to the western quadrant of the palace as fast as they could. "Gin, do you have any idea what is going on here?" Rangiku asked.

"I'm not certain, but I have a pretty good idea an invasion is about to take place," he replied.

She let out a defeated sigh. "I hope Hitsugaya and the others are able to get Hinamori out of the palace safely."

"I hope so too, but right now, we need to focus."

"I understand."

All of a sudden, Gin noticed something from the corner of his eye. Without any warning, he placed a hand on his childhood friend's back and pushed her down to the ground. After crashing onto the floor, the strawberry orange haired woman quickly recovered, got on her bottom, and yelled, "You idiot, what was that about?"

"Sorry, but I had to do that to you Ran-chan," Ichimaru apologized as he drew his sword from its sheath. "Besides, I just saved you from certain death."

When she looked down, her eyes widened with surprise. What the older captain had said to her was true. If he didn't save her, she would have been killed instantly once the group of poisonous acupuncture needles made contact with any part of her skin. She raised her head up and looked at the serious teenager. "Gin..."

"So, you're the one who is responsible for this," he said to his opponent, who decided to show himself. "Nagara Koji."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the dark blue eyed bodyguard said. "I'm here because I'm searching for Princess Ume."

Suddenly, Ichimaru charged at the Higashi guard and clashed swords with him. "Aw, that's too bad; you have failed to perform your duties as your Queen instructed. Some bodyguard you turned out to be."

His eyes narrowed. "I see; you don't believe my words because you think I was trying to kill your friend. I guess I have no other choice, but to defeat you."

A grin appeared on his face. "I'm glad we agree on something. Now, let's fight."

* * *

"Hinamori-kun, can you keep up with us?" Izuru asked upon glancing back at the raven haired princess.

She slowly nodded with agreement. "I'm alright Kira-kun."

"Okay."

After quietly watching the two friends interact with one another, Renji and Hisagi resumed their attention to what's in front of them. Shuhei let out a small hiss. "It seems like the thief girl has decided to bring some back up."

Abarai let out a grin. With his right hand on the hilt, he drew his sword out and said, "I'll deal with these guys. You guys go ahead."

The two Trio Knights nodded with agreement. "Alright Abarai-kun," Kira said. "We'll leave things to you."

"Be sure not to get killed out here," Hisagi suggested.

Renji let out a grin. "Do you really think that's going to happen to me?"

The older teenager did the same likewise. "Considering it's you, I suppose not."

"Those are my thoughts exactly."

"Let's go Kira, Hinamori," Hisagi instructed, leading the two friends to follow him.

They nodded with agreement. "We're coming!" Momo said.

Once the red headed teenager was left alone, he got into battle position and patiently waited for his opponents to show up. By the time, they arrived, Renji was astonished. He wasn't going to fight a small group of swordsmen and thieves, but a whole forest of them. He let down a gulp of saliva. "Alright then, I better start cleaning up this mess or else they'll go after Hinamori and the others."

* * *

Princess Ume opened the door and looked for anyone walking around. She let out a relieved sigh before coming out of the washroom in her thief disguise. After tightening the knot on her scarf, she began running through the hallway in search of her target. "I have about half an hour to finish my business here," she said. "After that, I can go home."

Without any warning, she felt a slice of air cutting in her direction. In response, she did a backward handstand and landed on her knees. When she raised her head, she saw the white haired captain come out of the corridor. Her eyes narrowed at him.

"Captain Hitsugaya."

Toshiro raised his sword out in front. "Hi no Tori, I won't let you take the Mystic Fang."

A grin appeared on her face. "We'll see about that."

All of a sudden, the young captain made the first move and lunge his sword at her. In retaliation, she drew her ninjato and blocked against the attack. Shortly after, they began exchanging sword swings with one another. Knowing that this is not going to get them anywhere, both sides changed their pace. Hi no Tori took out three kunais and threw them at the Royal Guard Captain. At that moment, Hitsugaya easily evaded the attack by doing a body twist with a single foot. Using the gained momentum, he threw her weapons (that he previously caught) right back.

With a few swings from her sword, she knocked them all to the sides and charged right at him. Just as he thought that they are going to engage themselves into another sword fight, he saw her crack a grin. When he looked down, his eyes widened. As he is trying to move away from the bomb she has rolled on the ground, an explosion occurred. While smoke filled the atmosphere, Toshiro managed to save himself from the impact by backing away. He raised an arm over his mouth and began coughing. _"That was too close," _he thought._ "I have to be more careful this time around."_

When the thick smoke cleared, he did not see the thief girl anywhere. He let out a curse.

"Shit, I should have known she was only interested in stealing right now." He turned around and ran to where the Mystic Fang is located. "I have to get there before she does."

Little did he know, Hi no Tori is actually hiding at the corner of the next hallway. She took a peek to see the white haired captain leave. She let out a sigh. "I'm sorry Hitsugaya-taicho. I have no personal intentions of endangering your life. However, because I am told to do this, I can't let you live any longer."

She carefully and quietly followed the white haired captain's whereabouts throughout the Hinamori Palace.

Along the way, Hitsugaya noticed something being reflected on his sword. His eyes narrowed with great suspicion._ "So, she is following me, huh?" _

It is when he turned at the corner.

_"Fine then, I'll lead the way."_

For the next little while, Toshiro made several turns throughout the palace hallways, knowing that the female thief is following close behind. It is when he went into the main hall that he made his move on her. He threw a small knife at her hiding spot, forcing the disguised princess to show herself. After that, he took out a few kunais of his own and threw them. He guided the thief to come close before he threw a special kunai with chain and wrapped it around her arm. Hi no Tori stopped moving and tried to free herself. However, Hitsugaya was keeping her in his grasp by pulling the chain back.

Making sure that he has her where he wants, the young captain jumped onto the spiral staircase rail and slid down while bringing her along with him. Knowing that she is going to fall right into his hands, Ume also jumped onto the rail and slid down as well. By the time the two opponents are near the bottom, Toshiro leaped back and pulled the chain as hard as he could to send her flying off to the side. Unfortunately, Hi no Tori managed to see through his attempt and used it to her advantage. After hiding it from the side pockets of her clothes, she took several smoke bombs and explosives and scattered them across the air.

Noticing what she is about to do, Hitsugaya quickly raised his sword up and cut through the chain in order to free himself. Shortly after, he did a front crawl (after he landed onto the ground) and quickly got back on his feet. With the little time he had left, he ran from the explosion as far as possible. Despite his efforts, the impact of the blast still managed to push him onto the floor. His body rolled several times before he hit against the cement wall with great force.

It took a while before Toshiro got on his knees and sees the result of the explosion. Just as he is about to stand up again, he suddenly felt the cold tip of a sword's blade on his throat. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Hi no Tori standing behind him. "It has been a pleasure fighting with you, Captain Hitsugaya," she said. "However, all good things must come to an end. Good bye..."

As her sword is swinging down on him, Hitsugaya knew there is no way for this to happen the way they are. He quickly placed both hands on the ground and lifted himself up. In the middle of that position, he raised a leg up, kicked the blade of her ninjato, and knocked the sword out of her hands.

As the ninja sword is high above their heads, Toshiro quickly changed his balance position, low kicked against the female thief's ankle, and caused her to trip. Shortly after she fell to the ground, the Royal Guard Captain stood up, caught her sword by the hilt, and pointed the blade's tip toward her face. "I won't allow you to kill me that easily."

Upon looking up at the white haired teenager, she watched him raise her sword up. She soon lowered her head and closed her eyes. She knew this day would come eventually. "At least, dying under his blade is better than being trapped under her control."

Ume waited for her time in this life to end, but she has yet to feel any pain. She opened her eyes and saw Toshiro standing in front of her with her sword lowered to the side. "Why?" she asked. "Why haven't you killed me yet?"

"I won't kill you," he replied. "The worse I could possibly do is to lock you up in the dungeon for a period of time, that's all."

Suddenly, she let out a light snort. "You're very cruel, do you know that Hitsugaya-taicho? I hate suffering."

"I hate suffering as well, but at least it gives us a chance to make a difference. I know very well how much that feels."

_"That's right; he's a commoner who grew up under harsh conditions," _the princess in disguise thought._ "Even though the environments we grew up in are different, we're similar."_

"I said before that I would show you no mercy. However, a part of me believes that you're much better than that. After fighting against you several times, I have noticed you have never done any serious damage to me. It feels as if you're holding back." He suddenly changed the grip on her sword and pointed the hilt toward her. "Because of that, I have decided to let you go once more."

"You do understand that having a kind heart will get you into trouble someday," she said while taking her sword back.

"I'm fully aware of that," Toshiro replied. "In the past, it has caused me all sorts of problems, leading to many consequences. Along the way, I lost many things including my last living relative, my grandmother."

_"Hitsugaya-taicho..."_

He let out a faint smile. "She always told me to ignore what others say and now that I think about it, I understand what she meant. I must always stay true to myself no matter how bad things get."

"I see; so you're that type of person," Ume said. "You have a lot of pride."

"I suppose so..."

She let out a defeated sigh. "Very well then, I shall take my leave without the Mystic Fang."

"Thank you Hi no Tori."

"No, I should be the one to thank you for having this conversation with me."

As he wondered what she is talking about, Toshiro heard a soft noise. When he looked down, his emerald-teal eyes widened with surprise. She threw several explosives at his feet. _"Shit!"_

Just as he tried to run away, the small weapons exploded altogether. As a result, it caused the floor to break and pull him down with it as the thief girl quietly watched. "To be honest, I was really touched by your story," she admitted. "However, because she is keeping a close eye on me, I can't show you any mercy. Please don't take it too personally, Captain Hitsugaya."

The princess in disguise put her sword back into its sheath and began leaving the area. Her eyes closed as she said a silent prayer for him.

_"I'm sorry Momo for separating you and your fiancé apart."_

* * *

Swords clashed with one another as Gin and Koji are in a dead lock battle for dominance. "Are you ready to tell me the truth now?" Ichimaru asked the black haired bodyguard.

"I still have no idea what you're talking about," Nagara said.

The two swordsmen backed away for a moment before swinging their swords once more. "Enough with all the lies; for the longest time, Hitsugaya-kun and I knew there is something fishy going on. What are you exactly here for?"

"I'm going to say it again: neither Princess Ume nor I have any intentions to plot against you."

All of a sudden, Gin twisted his body around and came up from behind his opponent. With a grin on his face, he elbowed the guard and rammed him against the wall. He said into his ear, "You're wrong _again_. How do you explain the poisonous needles that were thrown at Rangiku a while ago?"

"Some intruder must have used me."

"I highly doubt our meeting is a mere coincidence, but a formulated plan to somehow overthrow the kingdom."

It is when Koji didn't answer.

"Now enough with all the talk; shall we continue this fight?"

His eyes narrowed. "Very well then, let's continue."

Ichimaru tried to stab the guard with his sword; he only managed to pierce into the wall. Using this opportunity, Koji raised his sword above his head and attacked the Royal Guard Captain from the side. At that moment, his blade made contact with another.

Upon noticing who he is now fighting against, he created some distance between him and her. "Matsumoto Rangiku."

"If you think you only have to worry about Captain Ichimaru, you're sadly mistaken," she said.

The strawberry orange haired teenager swung her sword from side to side, forcing Nagara to step back and defend against her assault. When he is backed far enough, Matsumoto took out a dark sphere from her small bag pocket, tossed it up in the air, and sliced it open with her sword.

As a cloud of smoke filled the air, she used this opportunity to attack him from behind. Just as she did that, Koji raised his sword above his head and blocked hers. Despite his efforts, he still took damage. When he backed away from the smoke, he wiped the blood stain on his cheek and resumed his attention to his opponents, Gin and Rangiku.

Ichimaru let out an amusing grin. "Oh shoot, I was really certain I got him that time," he said. "Now I really need to polish up on my aiming."

Just as the battle is about to resume, they felt the palace floor rumble. "What was that?" Matsumoto asked as she is keeping her balance.

"I think we'll find out once we catch him," Ichimaru replied, pointing out that Koji is running away. "Hurry up Ran-chan or else you'll fall behind!"

"Okay, I'm coming!"

* * *

Kira, Hisagi, and Hinamori too felt the vibrations from the ground. "Something's going on somewhere nearby," Momo stated.

"We can't stop and contemplate about it," Shuhei said. "We have to get you out of here quickly."

She nodded with agreement. "Hai."

As they continued on their way out, something covered Izuru's mouth and pulled him away from the group. Unfortunately for him, neither of them has noticed until they heard a noise. They both turned around to see nothing there.

"Where did Kira-kun go?"

"I have no idea," Hisagi replied.

Just when they are about to leave, the oldest Trio Knight sensed danger from the side. He quickly drew his sword from its sheath and swung it in that direction. It is when he saw the clash from another blade. He took a step back and stood in front of the Princess of Seireitei. "Hisagi-san," Momo said.

"Stay close, Hinamori."

She slowly nodded. "Okay."

Shortly, acupuncture needles were thrown. Hisagi raised his sword up and whacked them all away before charging in on his opponent. It is when she came out of her hiding spot and showed her face by trading sword swings with him. "Hi no Tori."

"Hisagi Shuhei, one of the three Trio Knights," Ume said before pushing him back and throwing a smoke bomb at him.

As the gas is expelled, the short haired teenager raised his arm and used his sleeve to cover his nose and mouth. Hinamori did the same with hers. "Don't inhale the smoke; I think it's causes you to fall asl-"

All of a sudden, the female thief punched him hard in the gut causing him to arch over and fall to the ground. "Hisagi-san!"

She pointed her sword's blade at the princess. "You're coming with me, young Princess of Seireitei."

Instead of doing as she was told, Momo took out a few kunais (that was hidden in her kimono sleeves) and held them in between her fingers and thumbs. "I'm not coming with you, Hi no Tori."

Ume's eyes widened, astonished over the fact that the raven haired girl is rebelling by participating in the fight as well. She watched the peach girl throw her small weapons in her direction and acted accordingly to it. She evaded to the side and charged in on her. With no time to waste, Momo picked up Hisagi's dropped sword and used it to clash blades with the female thief's. "So this is your answer," she replied.

"Yes, I will fight back just like the rest of my allies have done."

"Very well, so be it."

Hi no Tori pushed the young princess back, knocking her off balance. Using this moment, she raised her sword above her head and slammed it down on her. However, Momo managed to recover and dodge it. With support of her footwork, she twisted her body around and swung her bladed weapon toward her side. Unfortunately for her, the female thief easily defended against the attack by blocking it with her sword.

It is when she quickly changed tactics. Hinamori bent her knees down toward the cold floor and stuck a leg out. Knowing that she is trying to trip her, Hi no Tori leaped into the air and landed on the ground with her back facing her opponent's. _"I have to get her quickly before..."_

Just as she turned around, Hi no Tori placed a wet cloth over her nose and mouth, forcing the girl to inhale it. All of a sudden, she felt her body become numb and her vision turning blurry. Before she knew it, she let go of Hisagi's sword, closed her eyes, and lost consciousness.

After catching the sleeping princess by the arm, Ume tilted her head forward and let out a relieved sigh. _"If our battle were to continue, you could have defeated me." _

"Hi no Tori," said a voice. She turned her body to the side to see Nagara Koji standing in her presence. Her eyes narrowed at him. "Let's get going now. We got what we wanted."

She slowly nodded with agreement. "Yes."

* * *

"Argh, I can't believe we lost sight of him!" Rangiku complained.

"How interesting," Gin said, grinning with delight. "He turned out to be a formidable opponent after all."

The strawberry orange haired woman gave him a stern look on her face. "Oi, now is not the time to be complimenting him."

They continued running until their eyes caught sight of the red headed teenager, lying on a pile of rubble. "Renji!" Matsumoto called out as she and Ichimaru ran up to him.

"Damn those people, they totally outnumbered me," Abarai cursed.

She got down on her knees and began assisting him to sit up. "Where are Kira and Shuhei?"

"They went in the northern direction, leading Hinamori out of the palace."

"What about Hitsugaya-kun? Where is he?" Gin asked.

"What? He's not with you?"

The two childhood friends looked at one another. Suddenly, Matsumoto became very concerned for her friend. "I have a bad feeling about this. We have to go look for him."

Renji slowly got back on his feet and began brushing some dirt off his clothes. "Alright then, you go look for Hitsugaya-kun," Ichimaru instructed. "As for Renji and I, we'll look for Hinamori-chan and the others."

She nodded with agreement. "Okay."

With that said, the three teenagers went on their separate ways.

* * *

"Oi Hitsugaya, where are you?" Rangiku called out as she ran through the hallway in search of the missing Royal Guard Captain. "Damn, where could he be?"

When she entered the main hallway, the young woman stopped in her tracks and looked at the damage of this room. She looked to the side to see a few kunais pierce into the nearby walls and the broken flooring on the lower level.

_"He was here." _

Matsumoto sat on the staircase rail and slid down. By the time she got off, she took a closer look at the whole. Below, she saw the familiar face of her unconscious friend, partially trapped under the rubble. She let out a gasp before rashly jumping down to help him. After pushing some broken debris out of the way, she got down on her knees and began nudging him awake, hoping that he didn't die from the fallen building structure or blood loss.

"Oi Hitsugaya, wake up!"

However, there was no response from the white haired Royal Guard Captain.

"Hitsugaya, you have to wake up or else who knows how your girlfriend will react when she finds out about this!" she yelled. "Hitsugaya, do you hear me? Hitsugaya!"

* * *

**References**

**_Hi no Tori_** - Fire Bird; Princess Ume's codename as the female thief,**_ Ninjato_ - **a straight bladed ninja sword, **_Taicho_** - Captain, **_Hai _- **Yes

* * *

**Author's Note:** O.o Oh no, not again; Momo has been kidnapped! Is Toshiro going to be alright? What's going to happen next? Well, stay tuned until my next update and don't forget to review! Thanks. _(Yay, Bleach Manga is coming back next week!)_


	13. Infiltration

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note****: **Boo! Did I scare you? LOL, I probably didn't. Plus, I'm a little early to be scaring anyone considering the Halloween fun and games are about to start in less than twenty-four hours (from where I live). xD Anyway, I'm back with chapter thirteen for this story! Yay! Special thanks go to my wonderful reviewers: **icyangel27, HyourinmaruIce, k a y - t h i, anime16, satomika, superattackpea, applestoapples, becomeafan, NeonCookies O.o, tlg, KnowledgeandImagination****, athdrizzle, i wanna be inside your heaven, OMG an update xD, prettykat, cause I'm cool like that, sweet miracle 'michu 17'****, peachesandstrawberries, bengara-koushi, Filipino and proud, serenity095**. Well, enough with me talking; here is another long chapter of The Next Greatest Treasure. Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking."_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Thirteen:** Infiltration

"Argh, once I see them, I'm totally going to tear them apart!" Renji exclaimed as he, Kira and Hisagi are on their horses, waiting for the others to come.

"You're not the only one who is upset," Shuhei said. "I'm the one who let Hinamori get kidnapped."

"I believe all of us think that way," Izuru pointed out. "Besides, we should have acted when we knew that they were our enemies."

The Trio Knights suddenly let out defeated sighs. Abarai suddenly punched the nearby wall and let out a curse. "Shit..."

Without any warning, Matsumoto, Ichimaru, and Hitsugaya raced out of the nearby house shop before a minor explosion erupted from the inside. Toshiro raised a fist over his mouth while Rangiku covered her mouth with her hand. They both closed their eyes and coughed several times. A few seconds later, Urahara Kisuke came out with his clothes all filthy and coughing out smoke. "Well, it seems like things definitely haven't changed since the last time I came here," Gin said.

"Oi, what exactly happened in there?" Hisagi asked as the Trio Knights joined them.

"Oh it's nothing," the strawberry orange haired woman replied. "Urahara just decided to do a few experiments in the shop like he always does."

Hitsugaya folded his arms over his chest and added, "Unfortunately, there will be days where some of them are just epic failures."

"Now those words are definitely harsh to say, little captain," Kisuke pointed out. "Are you sure it's really okay for you to be running around in your current condition?"

"I don't care about my health," he retorted, mostly ignoring the pain coming from the bandaged wounds around his forehead and left arm. "Right now, I need to rescue Momo before the Higashi family kills her."

"Hn, so you figured out their intentions?"

The white haired teenager then nodded with agreement. "Yes, they want to overthrow the kingdom. However, we have yet to figure out why they are doing this."

"Well, there are a few possibilities to consider," Urahara said as he took off his green and white striped hat and brushed some soot off with his hand. He put his hat back on his head and continued, "The family wants to become the most powerful rulers ever to walk the land, they wanted revenge on the Hinamori family over some unknown conspiracy, or they just think this is fun and games."

"I don't think the third possibility is accurate," Renji suggested.

The others soon agreed shortly after some let out defeated sighs while others just shook of their heads. "We'll figure out what they're up to after we rescue Momo and bring her back safely," Hitsugaya said.

Ichimaru looked up into the sky and noticed the sun is already high above their heads. "Well, look at the time!" the gray haired captain said. "It's time to get moving everyone."

Matsumoto and Toshiro raised their heads to see the sun as well. "You're right Gin," she said. "We better get going before we fall behind schedule."

The white haired teenager lifted up his black bag and draped it over his right shoulder. "Thanks for your help, Urahara. We'll be back again soon."

"Take care of yourselves and have a safe trip," the shopkeeper said, waving a good bye.

With that said the Trio Knights, the Royal Guard Captains, and the female swordsman got on their horses and rode away toward the western direction of Rukongai. "Are you sure it's okay to leave the palace as it is?" Kira asked.

"Don't worry too much about it," Ichimaru replied before turning to the other Royal Guard Captain. "Hitsugaya-kun and I have already got that matter settled, isn't that right?"

"I'm okay with Ikkanzaka Jidanbo looking after the place, but I'm a little worried about Shihoin Yoruichi being there as well," Toshiro said. "That woman is going to have so much fun there."

"Why would that be so?" Matsumoto asked.

Hitsugaya let out a defeated sigh. "Who lives next door to the Hinamori Palace to the right?"

"The Kuchiki Family," Hisagi answered.

All of a sudden, Rangiku placed the bottom of her right fist on the palm of her left hand. She pointed a finger up and said, "Oh, I get it! The current head of the Kuchiki family has a long history with Yoruichi-san!"

He nodded with agreement. "Exactly."

"What exactly happened between them?" Hisagi asked. "This is the first time I've heard that one of the members of the wealthiest families has interacted with a commoner."

"Actually, Yoruichi-san was born into the wealthy class," Rangiku stated. "She just likes to run around and live the life as a commoner."

"In other words, she hates to be bounded by family rules," Kira said.

"You got that right!" exclaimed a voice from behind.

The Trio Knights turned around and jumped. As for the others, they weren't surprised by her sudden presence at all. "Ara Shihoin-san, you came to visit us," Ichimaru said.

"Yes, I sure did," the purple haired woman said, draping an arm over the gray haired teenager's shoulder. She is sitting on his horse. "I can see that you're looking well, little Gin."

"I don't think _little _is an appropriate word to address me."

It is when Hitsugaya shot the gray haired teenager an icy glare, knowing that he's referring to him. Yoruichi let out an amused laugh. "I guess you're right about that."

Toshiro raised a fist over his mouth and loudly cleared his throat. "If visiting us is the only reason you're here, you might as well head back now. We're on a tight schedule."

"Yes yes, your beautiful future wife is waiting to be rescued." He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I came to drop off a few things you might need when you get to the Higashi Region. It's in the bag that is tied to Gin's horse."

"Arigato Yoruichi-san," Matsumoto said.

She smiled. "No problem, see you soon."

All of a sudden, she jumped off the horse and ran along with it until her speed cannot keep up. Soon after, she was far behind from the others; they have gone on their way. "By the way Hitsugaya-taicho," Hisagi said. "Why aren't you going to the region in your usual attire?"

"It's better for me to roam around there as Aisu no Ryu opposed to dressing up as Captain Hitsugaya," Toshiro answered. "Besides, I think they have yet to figure out my identity."

"I see."

"So that's why you told us to dress up a little differently as well," Kira said.

"That's right Izuru," Gin replied. "We have to assume that Nagara and Princess Higashi have informed their people of what we look like."

"How do we know that these clothes are the appropriate ones to blend in with the crowd over there?" Renji asked.

Suddenly, the gray haired captain placed a finger and thumb on his chin. "Hn, I suppose you have a point there. None of us have ever been there before."

"Well, we just have to wait and find out once we get there," Matsumoto said.

The Trio Knights nodded with agreement. "Alright then, everyone stay awake! This is going to be a long ride before we arrive at our destination," Ichimaru said.

"Yes sir!" Hisagi, Kira, Renji, and Rangiku exclaimed in unison.

With flicks of their reigns they commanded their horses to run faster toward the direction where the Higashi Region is located. Hitsugaya thought,_ "We're coming Momo..."_

* * *

By the time they have arrived, the sun has already begun to set to the west. Night is approaching. "Wow, this place is in ruins," Rangiku commented as the six teenagers traveled through the barren town. "These people look like they've experienced much worse that we did, Hitsugaya."

"I could see that," Toshiro replied.

She took another look and noticed the residents giving them disgusting expressions on their faces. "They definitely hate us."

"It's probably because they know we came from another part of the land," Ichimaru said.

Hitsugaya took a glance at what's ahead of him and noticed a large castle located at a fair distance from where they are. "That must be where the Queen and Princess of the Higashi Region live."

"It looks like it," Kira replied.

"I agree," Hisagi said.

"So, what do we do to get some information?" Renji asked the two captains.

"Isn't that obvious, the best place to gather information about the latest gossip is to hang around in a bar," Matsumoto suggested.

It is when Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at her and said, "You better not are saying that because you want to stop for a drinking break."

In response, she put up both hands in mock stance. "Of course not, Hitsugaya; Hinamori's rescue comes first before the sake."

"I'm glad we're on the same page." He raised his hands up and began untying his forehead bandages.

"Oi Hitsugaya-taicho, didn't Unohana-san already warned you not to take off your bandages until next week?" Kira asked.

"I'm well aware of that," Toshiro replied as he put his black bandanna on and tied it.

"Let him be Izuru," Gin said as they watched the young captain put on his mouth mask. "He's obviously not going to listen to reason when it comes to rescuing his girlfriend."

"This is where we split up. I'm going to break into one of the thief hideouts in this area and try to gather some information. In the meantime, the rest of you follow Matsumoto's suggestion."

"Eh, we're actually going along with my idea?" Rangiku asked, pointing a finger at herself.

The captain in disguise draped his cloak hood over his head and turned to the strawberry orange haired woman. "Yes, we are; to be honest, it's probably the best idea we should go along with."

"Well then everyone, let's head on inside," Ichimaru replied as he began walking toward the nearby pub shop.

"See you later Hitsugaya-taicho," Hisagi said.

"Don't get too rash along the way," Renji suggested.

"Ja ne," he whispered.

With that said, Toshiro flicked his reigns and commanded his horse to leave the group of teenagers behind to follow the other captain's instructions. "Are you sure it's okay to let him do this on his own?" Kira asked as they got off their horses. "What if he ends up breaking into the castle?"

"Hitsugaya-kun is not stupid," Gin pointed out as he tied his horse's reigns to a nearby post. "He's smart enough to know the consequences despite the intention of going in there. Now, shall we get going?"

When they walked inside, heads immediately turned to see them. "I don't think these people look very friendly," Kira said.

"I have to agree with that," Hisagi replied.

All of a sudden, knives, daggers, and swords were drawn from their sleeves, pockets, and shirts while others raised their bottles and jugs of sake. Matsumoto and the Trio Knights took a small step back as Ichimaru merely gave them a wide grin. "Something tells me that they're the Higashi family's henchmen," Renji suggested.

"I think so too."

"Hey you guys!" Rangiku exclaimed. "Who here can give us information about Hi no Tori?"

"Oi Rangiku," Shuhei said. "I have a bad feeling about this."

She turned to the short haired Trio Knight. "Really? What would that be?"

With a fierce yell, weapons were suddenly thrown in their direction. Matsumoto and Kira jumped out of the way and hid under a round table. On the other hand, Hisagi and Renji did the same and hid behind the bar table. As for Gin, he drew his sword from its sheath and knocked all the attacks off to the sides with his skillful swings. Sharp weapons were scattered on the ground along with the broken bottles and jugs which left some spilled drinks.

"Hey!" Rangiku yelled as she stood up from her hiding spot. "That's a waste of good alcohol!"

A dagger is thrown in her direction. She immediately ducked back down and dodged it. Kira said, "M-Matsumoto-san, I-I don't think it's a good idea to say such things."

With no warning, a knife from the right is thrown. Luckily for her, she barely managed to evade it as the small weapon pierced into the wall next to her. She turned her head and glared at her childhood friend. "Oi Gin, watch where you knock their weapons! One of them almost cut my beautiful hair!"

"Oops, sorry about that Ran-chan," Ichimaru apologized.

She folded her arms over her chest. "You owe me a bottle of sake for that."

"Aw, you're so mean."

"Shut up, you deserve it."

"She just had to start a fight," Renji commented after sighing with defeat.

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" the strawberry orange haired woman asked the red headed teenager from across the room.

"We could have just talked," Kira suggested.

"Do you really think those people are the type to do such things?" Ichimaru answered as he continued to knock all the attacks away.

"I suppose not..."

"No kidding Kira," Abarai said.

"We have no other choice, but to get away from this mess or else the guards are going to find us."

"In that case, I have the perfect plan," Gin replied. All of a sudden, with a single hand he caught a few knives and daggers by the hilt and threw them back at his opponents. With no time to waste, he charged and elbowed a few of them down to the ground. Shortly after, he picked up a scarf and wrapped it around his neck. Upon resuming his attention to the Trio Knights and Matsumoto, he said, "If you can't beat them, then join them."

* * *

Momo groaned as she slowly regained consciousness. She slowly opened her eyes and noticed she is in an unfamiliar place. "This is definitely not the palace," she said. "Where am I?"

She looked down and noticed her arms and legs are tied to a chair by a thick piece of rope. The peach girl struggled to break free, but the knots are just too tight.

"Why am I tied up like this?"

"Don't worry too much about it," said a voice. "Besides, you're going to die within a few hours."

The raven haired princess raised her head and let out a small gasp. Coming out from the dark corner of the room is Princess Ume and an older woman with midnight violet hair (which is tied up nicely into a bun) and amber eyes. "Ume...Then, you must be..."

Dressed in her traditional royalty outfit, the Queen of the Higashi Region nodded with agreement. "That is correct; I am Queen Higashi Kyoko. It's a pleasure to finally see my niece for the first time."

All of a sudden, the memory of the recent events flashed through her mind. "Why did you hire Hi no Tori to capture me? I have never done anything to you."

"Even though you didn't, your mother did," Kyoko answered. "She became the Queen of Seireitei."

"I don't get it."

She took a few steps forward, grabbed her chin, and pulled the young princess toward her face. "Your mother took my one true love away."

"Oto-san?" The ruler of the kingdom roughly released Momo and turned around.

After taking a few steps with her hands together on her back, she further explained, "That's right; I loved your father for a very long time. But no thanks to her, I could never live my happily ever after."

Hinamori lowered her head, still trying to absorb the hidden secrets between her family and the Higashi family.

"Now, I am happy for getting the chance to make things right. I'll finally become Queen of Seireitei!"

Momo sighed with defeat. "Listen, I may not understand what has happened between you and Okaa-san, but I'm sure there is a reason behind all that."

"Sorry little princess, but I'm not going to listen to your soft words. Your mother had already used that tactic against me."

The princess raised her head up and exclaimed, "Either way, Toshiro will come here and stop it from happening!"

All of a sudden, the Queen turned around and let out a bellowing laugh. "Oh really? You think that Hitsugaya Toshiro, the little captain of the Royal Guard and your so called fiancé, will come and stop me? What can a mere commoner like him do?"

"Don't underestimate him; he's capable of doing more than you expected!"

She then let out an evil grin. "We'll see about that."

With a snap of her fingers, several guards came to her side. "You called, your Majesty?"

"Yes, throw her in the dungeon," Kyoko said. "I'll deal with her later."

Once they have untied and taken her away, Ume turned to face her mother.

"It's time for you to go out there as your other self. If you end up seeing that girl's allies, be sure to kill them all."

"Yes mother, I'll make sure of it," she replied while bowing to her.

* * *

Hitsugaya came out of a pub shop, closed his eyes, and let out a relieved sigh._ "Alright, I got all the information I needed," _he thought. _"It's time to head back and find the others." _

Just as he is about to walk off, a pair of hands covered his eyes and pulled him back against her chest.

"Oi Matsumoto, what the hell are you trying to do?"

He grabbed her by the wrists, pulled it down, and turned around to see her, the Trio Knights, and Ichimaru standing behind him. The female swordsman said, "Sugoi Hitsugaya, you're able to figure out it's me."

Toshiro gave her a stern look. "It's not hard to figure out it's you."

"Eh, you're serious?" She turned to her childhood friend and the others. "What Hitsugaya said is true?"

The Trio Knights turned pink and turned their heads to the side, shy to answer her question. As for Gin, he merely stated, "Of course it's obvious; besides, it doesn't take a genius to guess it's you."

She gave him a stern look. "Are you sure about that?"

He smiled. "Yes."

Rangiku let out a defeated sigh. "I really need to work on it then."

_"I don't think you'll be able to achieve that goal anytime soon,"_ Hitsugaya thought. "Anyway, I can see that you guys have dressed nicely to blend in with the people here."

"I'm glad you liked it," Ichimaru said. "I hand picked it myself."

"Good, we're going to put it to good use."

"What do you mean Hitsugaya-taicho?" Kira asked.

"We're going to disguise ourselves as ordinary citizens living here and go to the Higashi Castle. Apparently, today is the day where the citizens have to go there to pay their taxes."

"Ou, what an interesting way to break into the place," Gin replied with a grin.

"However, there is one problem," Hisagi said. "Nagara and Princess Higashi recognize our faces. How can we hide ourselves?"

It is when Matsumoto suddenly cleared her throat. Heads turned to the strawberry orange haired teenager to listen to what she has to say. With a smile on her face, she said, "Don't worry my dear fellow friends; I have the perfect disguise that will prevent anyone from knowing it is us."

Hitsugaya and Ichimaru look at one another before giving her a stern look.

"What?"

"I have a bad feeling about this," Toshiro said.

"Same here," Gin agreed.

"Aw, come on!" Rangiku complained. "Let me help out for once!"

The white haired captain let out a defeated sigh and said, "Go consult with Ichimaru about it."

She folded her arms over her chest and commented, "You're so stingy!"

"Uruse!"

"Fine Ran-chan, I'll let you help out," Ichimaru suddenly said.

"Really?" Matsumoto said. "Arigato Gin!"

It is when Toshiro raised an eyebrow at the other Royal Guard Captain. "You better keep her under control."

"Oh don't worry about that," the gray haired teenager said with a grinning smile. "I got it all covered."

"I think the only reason you suddenly changed your mind is because you wanted to make her happy," the white haired captain of the Royal Guard casually stated.

It is when he began playing around with the younger captain. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Hitsugaya-kun."

"Yeah whatever, let's just initiate this plan."

He then playfully replied, "Somebody needs to get laid once he rescues his princess and return home."

"Oh shut up Ichimaru..."

* * *

**References**

_**Arigato**_ - Thank You, _**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Aisu no Ryu -**_ Ice Dragon; Hitsugaya's codename as the notorious thief of Rukongai, _**Ja ne **_- Good Bye (informal/casual), _**Oto-san**_ - Father, _**Okaa-san **_- Mother, _**Sugoi**_ - Amazing, **_Uruse_**** - **Shut up**  
**

* * *

**Author's Note:** Yay, Hitsugaya's alive! Well, this chapter sure have its share of laughs, mysteries, action, and adventure. Stay tuned for the next update. Please review! Thanks.


	14. Disguise

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note****: **It took a while, but I managed to finish chapter fourteen. Yay! Thank you for being so patient especially my wonderful reviewers: **anime16, becomeafan, HyourinmaruIce, tlg, k a y - t h i, KnowledgeandImagination, sweet miracle 'michu 17', applestoapples, satomika, athfdrizzle****, icyangel27, **and **superattackpea**. Without any further delays, here is the next chapter. Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking." Flash Back.  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Fourteen:** Disguise

"Oi Matsumoto-san, are you sure this plan is going to work?" Izuru asked.

"What's wrong with you, Kira? Do you not have faith in your fellow peer?" Rangiku questioned in response.

"Yeah, it's just the disguises we're wearing are a bit...ridiculous."

"You think they're ridiculous?" Renji asked as he spread his arms out for everyone to see. "We're all wearing female clothes and make up, for Pete's sake!"

"Except me," Ichimaru corrected.

"Sorry Gin, but you don't look good dressed as a girl," the strawberry orange haired teenager pointed out. "It's hard to imagine you as one."

"Aw, how unfortunate..."

Kira and Abarai gave the Royal Guard Captain odd looks on their faces. In the meantime, Hisagi picked a piece of his clothing close to his nose and took a whiff. All of a sudden, he made a face. "When was the last time these things are washed?"

"Oh stop bellyaching and deal with it," Matsumoto said. "You can always take a shower after we rescue Hinamori."

"Alright you guys, it's time to start the act," Ichimaru interrupted. "Remember what we need to do."

"Yes sir," the Trio Knights replied in unison.

"Damn it, why Hitsugaya-taicho has to be the only one who doesn't get to play dress up?" Renji mumbled.

"As much as I would like him to, he already ran away," Rangiku replied. She folded her arms over her chest. "I had the perfect dress for him to wear!"

"I wish I was him right now."

"You're not the only one," Hisagi agreed.

Without any warning, Gin punched Renji in the face, knocking him down to the ground. "You bastard, what the hell was that for?" the red headed teenager asked.

"What are you talking about?" the Royal Guard Captain in disguise asked. "You're the one who is trying to get away with the goods that I'm going to pay the Queen with!"

Abarai quickly got back on his feet, marched up to the gray haired teenager, and exclaimed at his face, "You're the one who is lying!"

Just as Ichimaru is about to throw another fist at the Trio Knight, Renji evaded the attack by moving his body to the side. Unfortunately for Hisagi, he became involved. He covered his nose and mouth with a hand as his eyes are locked onto the culprit. "What did I ever do to you?"

As the three teenagers got engaged in the fight, Kira and Matsumoto joined in, trying to calm them down. "Oi, that's enough! There's no need to start a fight here."

"She's right," Kira agreed, "or else the guards are going to come."

"Hey, what the hell is going on here?" asked one of the castle guards, who came to the scene to investigate the happenings.

"I'll tell you what is happening here," Gin said before pointing a finger at the red headed teenager. "This idiot is trying to steal my goods for her Majesty!"

Without any warning, Renji drew a knife and began swinging it at Ichimaru. The people around them gasped and backed away. The gathered guards, on the other hand, decided to settle the matter right now. "Oi, stop it right now!"

As Kira, Renji, Hisagi, Matsumoto, and Captain Ichimaru are distracting all the surrounding guards, it is the perfect cue for the notorious thief of Rukongai to make his move. Blending in the crowd of people, who are running away from the violence, he sneaked past his allies and enemies without being seen. He glanced back to see if anyone is following. When it is safe, Hitsugaya ran with his hands raised above his head. Once he took hold of a thick tree branch, he was sent on a whirl before landing on it with his two feet. After feeling stable, he started climbing up.

When he is almost at the top, Aisu no Ryu unhooked his grappling hook from his sash and began twirling it at one end. Locked onto his target, he threw it. The grappling hook flew across and got caught onto the rooftop flag pole. After pulling on the rope a few times, he swung to the other side. Just as he was about to crash into the wall, he put his feet out so that it can take the impact instead. He took a look at what is going on at where his allies are before letting out a relieved sigh. _"Good, they're still keeping the guards distracted."_

Once Toshiro climbed onto the rooftop, he unhooked his handy weapon and put it away. He walked to the other side and stopped beside a rooftop window. Hitsugaya took a peek inside to find a group of chained up women, young and old, in ragged clothes occupying the room. The Royal Guard Captain's eyes narrowed, not liking the scene at all.

_"How mean the Higashi Family can be?"_

So, with a short knife, he put the blade in between the slit and cut the lock open.

Once the women noticed the thief open the window and break in, they cuddled against one another, frozen with fear. With a finger in between his lips, he whispered, "Do not panic, I'm not here to hurt you."

Then, he got to work, picking the locks open from their wrists and ankles. Once they were released, Hitsugaya took out his grappling hook and hooked it on the windowsill.

After throwing the rope out of the window, he turned to them and said, "This is your chance to escape while you still can."

However, none of them budged.

"There is nothing to be afraid of."

"Yes there is," one of them finally replied. "Even if we were able to get out of this hell, the Queen will only send out her daughter to capture us again."

_"So, our guess is right after all,"_ he thought. "You won't be captured again as long as you follow my instructions, I promise."

It is when Hitsugaya turned around and walked toward the window. Along the way, he took out three dark green spheres from the inside of his kimono and tossed it out. By the time he looked down, Toshiro saw people and the guards have fallen asleep, As for his friends, they avoided the sneak attack and are coming to his aid.

Once Matsumoto climbed up and got into the room, she asked in a soft tone, "Oi, what the hell is going on here?"

"The Queen has been a very bad ruler, that's what," Aisu no Ryu replied.

She placed her hands on her hips. "Man, if I see her, I'm going give her a piece of my mind."

"We're not here to deal with her personally we have other important matters to deal with."

"Yes sir."

"Good, now let's help these women get out of this place."

* * *

From down below, the Trio Knights and Ichimaru are about to climb up the rope. "Geez, why can't you be a little easier with the beatings?" Renji complained to the Royal Guard Captain.

"If that were to happen, it wouldn't be as believable as it is," Gin replied.

Abarai placed a hand on his cheek, numbing the pain. "Damn it, once I become promoted, I'll make sure to get him back."

A grin suddenly appeared on Ichimaru's face. "We'll see about that."

"Ichimaru-taicho, it seems like something's going on up there," Kira said.

The others looked up as well. "Hn, it seems like it."

"Isn't that Rangiku-san up there?" Hisagi asked.

"Yeah, but what is she doing?" Renji further questioned. "Did they rescue Hinamori already?"

All of a sudden, Matsumoto quickly took hold of the rope and slid down. Because the rope is a little short at the end, she ended up landing on one of the Trio Knights. Noticing her short haired peer on the ground, she got off of him and apologized, "Oops, sorry Shuhei."

"I-It's alright!" He croaked while raising a thumb up. "I-I'm okay!"

"So, what's going on up there?" Ichimaru asked.

"Apparently, there are women up there who are the Queen's servants," Rangiku explained. "You should have seen them! They look feeble and were chained to the wall!"

"That's horrible!" Kira said as Hisagi slowly got back on his feet.

She nodded with agreement. "No kidding, they don't deserve any of that treatment!"

"We can continue talking about this later," Gin interrupted. "It looks like the women are coming down right now."

* * *

Meanwhile, in a dungeon deep under the Higashi Castle, the Princess of Seireitei is locked up in a cell isolated from the other prisoners. Unlike them, she doesn't intend to stay here for long. _"They will come and rescue me," _she thought as she is picking on the handcuff with her hairpin._ "In order to make things easier, I will do whatever it takes to get out of here on my own."_

Once she heard a soft click, Momo closed her chocolate brown eyes and let out a relieved sigh. Somehow, she is able to break free out of handcuffs again.

_"Thank you Rangiku-san."_

When she reopened her eyes, she began looking around before spotting a small window. By the looks of it, the frame can only fit someone of her size at the most. She let out a gulp, unsure whether to do this.

* * *

_Hinamori fell onto the ground on her bottom to catch her breath as her boyfriend stood beside her, doing the same. After a good two minutes of panting, he suddenly said, "Alright, break's over."_

_"Already?"_

_"In a middle of a real battle, there is no such thing as break time," Captain Hitsugaya replied upon raising his wooden sword up. "One wrong move and you end up paying your life for it."_

_"What? That's not fair!"_

_"It has always been that way, Momo. I know that well."_

_"Toshiro..."_

_The Royal Guard Captain lowered his head. "When you told me that you were learning swordsmanship from Matsumoto and Ichimaru, I became...very worried. Do you have the strength and mentality to fight against your opponents? Will you be able to deal with tough situations like taking someone as hostage? What if you ended up dying in battle? However, all those questions are not what a boyfriend should do." _

_He raised his head to look up at her. _

_"My job is to support you in every decision you make. That is why I'm being rough on you. If you really want to learn, then you must bear with all the things I'm going to beat into you. As a result, you'll be able to survive in the battlefield. Hinamori Momo, the Princess of Seireitei, are you ready to continue this harsh training?"_

_She let out a smile and nodded with agreement. "Hai!" _

_He smiled back. "Then, gather up your confidence and let's continue." _

* * *

_"I can do this; I know I can,"_ Hinamori said. With Hitsugaya's echoing words of encouragement in her mind, the peach princess started working on a way to escape from this place. "What can I work with?"

Suddenly, an idea dawned to her. Stuffing her hand into her sash, she took out a small cylinder container from behind. Momo suddenly cracked a smile.

"Good, they haven't taken it away from me."

She removed the top cap and twisted it. Inside the container is some ruby coloured lipstick.

The Princess of Seireitei applied the makeup on her lips. Shortly after, she started smearing some on the corner of her lips, her clothes, her hands, and all over the floor. _"I hope it works out."_

She took a deep breath to calm down. All of a sudden, she heard footstep noises coming in her direction. She quickly lay down on her belly and quietly waited for them to arrive. "Let's get this over with," said a voice.

"Yeah," another voice agreed. "At least, we're not the ones who will get their heads sliced."

"No kidding."

"Oh shit, what happened here?" one of the guards exclaimed upon seeing the Princess of Seireitei on the cold floor. "There's blood all over her!"

"Is she dead?"

He took out a ring of keys from his pocket and used one to open her cell. "We have to confirm it first."

Once they were inside, they got down on their knees to take a closer look at the motionless body. They turned her over to the side to see the bloody-like substance on her body. It is when Momo opened her eyes. As they jumped with surprise, the peach girl used this opportunity to grab some sand and dirt from the floor and throw it into their faces.

While they were blinded and agonizing in pain, she used her handcuffs to trap them together by the wrists. Then, she knocked them out by hitting the back of their necks with her hand. After they were on the ground unconscious, she swiftly stripped them of their weapons and the keys. To finish things off, she out of the cell and locked them inside.

The peach princess let out a relieved sigh and took a look at her lipstick.

* * *

_"Why do I have to carry this around, Rangiku-san?" Hinamori asked._

_"Believe me, your best weapon will be your lipstick," the female swordsman said. "It got me out of many difficult situations."_

_"Um okay..."_

_She leaned over to the younger girl and began nudging her by the elbow. "Besides, you can use it to get the attention of a certain Royal Guard Captain of yours."_

_She turned a slightly pink at her response. "W-What?"_

_"You're so shy, Hinamori. Why can't you act a like a bad girl for once?" _

_"I-I..."_

_She suddenly slapped her on the back. "I'm just poking fun of you; don't worry about it too much."_

_"Mou..."

* * *

_Hinamori cracked a smile. "You're right Rangiku-san; lipstick is a girl's best weapon."

After putting the makeup back in her sash on her back, she ran off to look for her rescuers.

_"Knowing them, they should be already somewhere in the castle,"_ she said in her thoughts. _"I have to go find them quickly before my aunt discovers my whereabouts."

* * *

_After most of the women have managed to climb down the rope, Toshiro called Rangiku to climb back up and come inside. "What is it, Hitsugaya?"

"Can I leave this matter to you and the others?" he asked. "I'm going deeper into the castle to find Momo."

"Okay, leave it to me."

Likewise, he did the same. "If there is any chance that I'm not able to get out of this safely, no matter what, find Momo and get her out of this place."

After a brief moment of silence, she slowly nodded with agreement. "Yes sir."

With that said, the white haired thief of Rukongai mouthed a silent thank you. Before long, he turned around, ran up to the door, and looked through the window to find some bodyguards. Taking out a dark sphere from the inside of his kimono, he threw it through the small frame.

Moments later, the area became clouded by a mysterious green gas. During this time, Hitsugaya picked the lock with a customized needle and unlocked the door. When he entered the hallway, Aisu no Ryu found the gas still lingering and the guards lying on the ground, sleeping. Because he is wearing his mouth mask, he was unaffected. "That should take care of them for a bit."

Then, he looked back and forth, trying to figure out which way to go. Knowing that there is no time to waste, he just picked a direction to take.

_"Hang on tight; I'm coming to get you, Momo."

* * *

_"Sir, the Princess of Seireitei has escaped from her cell!" one of the guards exclaimed to his senior.

"Then, what are we waiting for?" he asked. "We have to go look for her! Did you report this to the Queen yet?"

"Yes, someone is heading over to the throne room to report this issue right now."

All of a sudden, they heard a soft noise. After carefully listening to it, they looked down to see a few purple spheres rolling on the ground. Once they stopped, purple gas is emitted into the atmosphere. The guards began placing their hands over their mouths, coughing. "What the hell is this?"

Before his ally could answer his question, he along with a few other guards felt something hard hit against the back of their necks. As a result, they lost their consciousness and fell to the ground. Once the smoke cleared out, Hinamori stood in the middle of the bodies with her mouth and nose covered with a torn piece of her kimono sleeve.

Without a word, she continued running through the castle hallway in search of the whereabouts of her allies. Just as she was about to make a turn at the corner, she spotted a few guards coming in her direction. Momo retreated and looked around, trying to find a spot to hide. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a long window curtain.

"Hurry up or else they'll come deeper into the castle!" one of them said.

"Who would have thought that there would be intruders breaking into the castle," another commented.

"The Queen said that the only invaders who would do this are the ones from Seireitei. They have come here to rescue Princess Hinamori Momo."

"But didn't she escape from her cell? She could be anywhere!"

"That's why it's our job to make sure the two parties don't meet. Now, move it!"

Once they were gone, Hinamori slowly got out from behind the curtain, closed her eyes, and let out a sigh. "Thank goodness they didn't notice me."

She reopened her chocolate brown eyes.

"If what they said is true, then Toshiro and the others are somewhere in this place, looking for me." She continued running in another direction. _"Please Kami-sama, let me find them before Aunt Kyoko and her minions does." _

* * *

**References**

_**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Aisu no Ryu**_ - Ice Dragon; Hitsugaya's codename as the notorious thief of Rukongai, _**Hai**_ - Yes, _**Kami-sama**_ - God, the deity from above

* * *

**Author's Note:** Momo escaped and Toshiro has broken into the Higashi Castle! Gah, it is getting intense! What is going to happen next? Find out in the next chapter of The Next Greatest Treasure! In the meantime, please review! Thanks.


	15. The Unexpected

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note****:** OMG, the animation is so wonderful. Gin's fight against Ichigo looked so epic. Kyaa, Ichimaru is so awesome! _*fangirl squeal*_ Anyway, now that I think about it, there's only about ten more chapters left until this story is complete. You know what that means; I have to start typing my storyline for my next HitsuHina story. Sorry folks, but I won't be spilling anything about it until a little later. It's a surprise. xD Anyway, special thanks goes to my reviewers: **satomika, anime16, k a y - t h i, icyangel27****, KnowledgeandImagination, applestoapples, HyourinmaruIce, superattackpea, tlg, **and **athfdrizzle**. Thank you for taking the time to type in your comments for the previous chapter. Without any further delay, here is chapter fifteen of The Next Greatest Treasure. Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking." Flash Back.  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Fifteen:** The Unexpected

"There he is; the intruder ran in that direction!"

The notorious thief of Rukongai, Aisu no Ryu glanced back to see he is being followed by a group of five or six men. When he resumed his attention to the front, he noticed that another group of guards have arrived at the intersection to block his way. However, he won't let them catch him so easily. He ran faster.

By the time he is within their attack range, the Royal Guard Captain in disguise quickly jumped into the air and landed on his opponent's sword. The owner of the sword raised his head to look at the thief. His eyes narrowed; irritated that he evaded his attack without breaking a sweat. "Why you..."

Hitsugaya pulled out a kunai from somewhere hidden in his clothes and held it out for his enemies to see. He is ready to fight back at any time. The first attacker swung his sword from the side in which he responded by lifted a foot up and slamming down on it. Using it as a catapult, he flipped in the air, dodging a second and third assault. Just as he landed in the middle of the crowd, Toshiro took out a second kunai from his sash and held them up in a diagonal cross position toward the sides of his face.

He landed on the ground on one knee. Once he stood up, he immediately ran past several guards, dodging every single attack they tried to injure him with. At the same time, he was swinging his two portable weapons around in various places. When he got out of crowd, he put away his kunais back where they belong. As he looked back, he saw all the guards' pants fall down to their ankles, leaving their underwear exposed.

Toshiro let out an amused grin (which they could not see because of his mask) before running away. _"Heh, amateurs..."_

"What the hell are you standing there, dumbfounded?" the leader exclaimed as he pulled up his bottom wear. "Pull your pants up and go after him. He is getting away!"

"Y-Yes sir!"

* * *

"Oi Matsumoto-san, is that all of them?" Kira called out from below.

Bending over the window, the strawberry orange haired swordsman placed a hand on the side of her lip and hollered back, "Yes, all the women have been freed from this place!"

"Okay Ran-chan, you go on and catch up with Hitsugaya-kun!" Ichimaru yelled. "We'll catch up with you later."

"Alright!"

Once they saw her go back inside, the Royal Guard Captain then turned to his subordinates. "Let us not waste time here. Izuru and Renji, you two are to break into the castle and assist Rangiku and the little captain. As for Shuhei and I, we'll take care of the guards out here."

The Trio Knights nodded with agreement. "Yes sir!"

With that said, the two younger knights each took their turns holding onto the rope and climb up. Just as Hisagi is about to reply back, they heard yelling sounds from a distance. They turned their bodies to the side to find the Hisagi guards running after them with their swords drawn. "Well, what do you know? The party has already started without us."

They drew their swords out and got ready for battle.

"Let the fun and games begin."

"Yes Ichimaru-taicho," Hisagi replied.

With that said, the two elder Royal Guard members charged into battle.

* * *

Queen Kyoko was about to take a sip from her tea when she felt a vibration. Irritated, she slammed the cup on the table, turned to her most faithful servant, and snapped, "Nagara, what is with all the commotion going on in the castle?"

With an apologetic bow, Koji replied, "I beg your pardon, your Majesty. However, I have received news that there are intruders lurking around."

She raised an eyebrow. "Intruders? Are they the brats from Seireitei and Rukongai?"

"As of right now, we have yet to confirm it." Leaning back against her throne seat, the ruler of the Higashi Region picked up her tea cup again. Just as her lips was about to make contact with the expensive material, he added, "Also, Princess Hinamori has escaped from her prison cell."

"WHAT?" she exclaimed, slamming and breaking her tea cup, not caring about the spilled liquid dripping onto the floor. "SHE ESCAPED FROM HER CELL?"

"Yes ma'am."

Kyoko stood up from her seat. "Those idiot guards, can't they do anything right for once?"

After walking down the steps and past her loyal guard, she placed her hands together behind her back. She said, "When this whole matter is over, be sure that their heads are off."

"Yes, you're Majesty."

There was a brief moment of silence. She glanced over her shoulder and asked, "Where is my daughter?"

"She is currently investigating the whole matter in the castle as Hi no Tori."

"I see," she replied. "Go Nagara and inform her that she is to recapture the Princess of Seireitei and kill every single intruder in this place."

"As you wish, Queen Kyoko."

* * *

The guards let out agonizing screams as Aisu no Ryu injured every single person that got in his way with his long sword. Noticing that he is approaching an intersection, he changed course and turned to the right. He glanced back to see that they're still following him. His eyes narrowed. _"Damn, they're persistent." _

Just as he turned to the left at the next intersection, he noticed something is thrown past over his head. By the time he stopped and turned around, there was a shining explosive that took place.

"That was a flash bomb," he wondered, "but who threw it?"

"I did that," replied a voice.

Recognizing who it is saying those words to him, he quickly turned around. Standing behind him is the one and only, Princess of Seireitei. "Momo, you escaped."

Letting out a soft smile, she nodded with agreement. "Yes, I did."

"Why are you wearing lipstick and how did you get your clothes stained in that makeup?"

"It's a long story. I'll explain it to you later."

Right now, he wanted to wrap his arms around and kiss her. However, that moment had to wait. "Stop intruder and you too, Princess Hinamori Momo!"

The peach girl immediately made eye contact with the thief of Rukongai. After he gave her a silent nod, she threw her spare sword in their direction. As they dodged the attack, Hitsugaya put away his sword back in its sheath. With his arms free, he carried his girlfriend in bridal style and ran off together.

"Don't let them get away!"

The guards chased after the two lovers through the hallway. After trying to come up with a way, an idea dawned to her. As her boyfriend made a turn, Momo snatched a medium sized vase and threw it toward the sealed window. As the glass broke, they quickly turned at the next corner. When they met with a door, Hitsugaya kicked at the area next to the doorknob and busted it open. From there, they entered the room and closed the door. After putting her down, they found a spot to hide from their enemies. While they remained silent as possible against the door, they listened to their voices.

"They jumped out of the window and escaped!"

"Hurry and get out there! They can't have gotten very far!"

All of a sudden, the door opened. In order to keep them from being discovered, Toshiro leaned against Momo with their bodies pressed and their faces in very close contact. They could feel the tension in their bodies, the racing of their heartbeats, and the heaviness of their breathing.

"They're definitely not in here. Let's move out!"

Once the door was closed and their footsteps leaving the area, the lovers closed their eyes and soon sighed with relief. "They're finally gone," Hinamori whispered.

Hitsugaya put his mouth mask down, leaving the accessory to dangle around his neck. "Yeah..."

They looked deeply into each others eyes. Unconsciously, they wrapped their arms around one another and before they knew it, they closed their eyes and started kissing. The flare, the passion, and the love: they missed it so much. It felt like a century has passed by since they last shared the moment together.

"Hn, how interesting..."

Pulling away from the white haired teenager, she asked, "What is it?"

He let out a smirk. "The lipstick you're wearing doesn't stain on me."

She giggled. "At least, you don't have to worry about the others noticing your recent actions."

"I sure don't have to," Toshiro replied. "I miss you so much, Momo and I'm sorry for not being able to stop them before."

"I don't be sorry," Hinamori said. "It can't be helped things happen that way. What matters now is that we're together."

The young thief nodded with agreement before giving her another kiss.

"Is everyone alright?"

After giving her a light kiss on her right cheek, he answered, "They're alive and well. We all came to save you."

She smiled. "Thank you for coming all this way."

"I would do anything to make sure you're safe, my princess."

"Oh Toshiro..." Just as they were about to engage themselves in another make out session, the door suddenly swung open, knocking the back of the young captain's head. He immediately arched over, placed his hands over his injury, and hissed in pain. At the same time, Hinamori became concerned for his health. "T-Toshiro, are you alright?"

"Ah Hinamori, is that your voice I'm hearing?" asked a voice.

When she raised her head, she saw the strawberry orange haired woman entering the room. "Rangiku-san!"

"I'm so glad that you're alri-Hitsugaya, what are you doing?"

In response to her question, the white haired thief shot her a glare. "My head hurts no thanks to you."

"You'll be fine."

"I beg to differ," he replied, numbing the aching injury with a hand. "I am certain that I lost a few brain cells from the impact."

"Yeah, as long as you don't turn stupid all of a sudden, then everything's going to be alright."

"Matsumoto..."

"There she is, after her!" exclaimed a voice.

"Well, now there's my cue." Rangiku slammed it shut and leaned against the door. Upon noticing that their enemies are trying to break down the door with brute force, Toshiro and Momo pitched in to help.

"What the hell, Matsumoto?" he asked. "If you knew that we were hiding in this room, you should have run elsewhere so that I can bring Momo to safety!"

"Well sorry, but I had found a way to get away from those men." All of a sudden, she started placing her hands on her assets which caused both Hitsugaya and Hinamori to blush with embarrassment. "A while ago, I think one of those men ended touching my breas-"

"Okay, that's enough! I don't want to hear anymore details about your bosoms!"

Without any warning, a blade pierced through right next to Matsumoto's cheek. She let out a shriek before retreating away from the door. As the lovers struggled to keep the guards from breaking in, Rangiku took a moment to check the condition of her strawberry orange hair. "Oh no, don't tell me what they just did!"

Suddenly, she drew her sword out from its sheath. Holding it tightly by the hilt, she said to her companions, "Stand back you two, it's time for me to bust in on their party."

With one look at her pale blue eyes, Hitsugaya quietly read the expression on the woman's face. She has now got the proper motivation to fight. On the other hand, Hinamori thought differently. "But Rangi-"

Aisu no Ryu put his hand in front of her, getting her attention. He shook his head.

"Toshiro..."

"Leave this matter to Matsumoto," he said. "She can handle this."

Eventually, she let out a defeated sigh. "Okay, be careful Rangiku-san."

The strawberry orange haired woman gave the princess a smile and a thumb up. "Don't worry Hinamori-hime, I promise to catch up with you and Hitsugaya once I'm done with cleaning up this mess here."

With a nod of agreement, Hitsugaya took his girlfriend by the hand. With his other hand, he put on his mouth mask back on. At that moment, the door slammed opened, revealing all the guards breaking in. It is when Matsumoto pulled out two dark spheres and threw it on the ground. As smoke filled in the room, the guards closed their eyes and began coughing hoarsely. "Let's go, Momo!" Toshiro exclaimed.

"H-Hai!" she replied.

Using this opportunity, Aisu no Ryu and the Princess of Seireitei escaped from the room, leaving the female swordsman behind. They kept running around the castle hallway without being spotted by any of the guards until they eventually met up with a few familiar faces.

"Kira-kun! Abarai-kun!"

"Hinamori-kun!" Izuru exclaimed as they continued running together.

"Hitsugaya-taicho, you found her," Renji said.

"Actually, she found me instead," Toshiro replied.

"Um, why are you three wearing female clothes?" she asked before stroking her finger against Kira's cheek. She took a look at her stained finger for a proper physical examination. "You're also wearing make up."

"I-It's a long story Hinamori-kun, w-we'll explain it after we get you out of here," Izuru replied while blushing with embarrassment.

"If you want a rough idea, it was Rangiku-san's idea," Abarai added.

"By the way, why are you wearing lipstick?"

"Um, I'll explain that story once we get out of here," Hinamori replied.

All of a sudden, Renji started stomping on his footwear. "Damn it, how are you girls able to run in these things?"

"To be honest, I really don't know the trick to it," Momo admitted. "I suppose all it takes is practice."

"Sir, the intruders have been spotted and Princess Hinamori is with them!" one of the guards exclaimed upon spotting them run by.

"Well, what are you standing there? Capture them right now!"

Moments later, they were surrounded by their enemies. As the others worried about them, one particular person is irritated with something else. Unable to hold it much longer, Renji took off both his footwear. "Try these on for size!"

He threw them at the faces of two of the guards, making them fall backwards.

"Now this is more like it."

"Are you sure you're going to be alright running in your socks?" Kira asked.

"Hey, those shoes are a pain in the ass to wear. Luckily for you, you don't have to wear them."

"Abarai, Kira, I want you two to get Momo out of here," Toshiro suddenly instructed. "It looks like the main force is here to stop us."

"We will fight with you and get out of this place together," Izuru said.

"No, I have a good feeling that the Queen and her strongest minions are now searching for us. If one of us gets caught as a group, we're all doomed."

"Toshiro," Hinamori said.

"Cover your mouths and noses!" The white haired thief took out several dark spheres and threw them around the hall. Smoke started filling the room causing the guards to start coughing. Luckily for the others, they followed Hitsugaya's instructions. "I'll run after you guys after I'm done with them and regroup with Matsumoto."

The two Trio Knights soon nodded with agreement. "Yes sir."

"Ichimaru should have found a way to let you guys out here safely. Go and find him."

"Toshiro," Momo said.

Looking her in the eyes, the white haired thief slowly let go of her hand. "I have to do this because it is for the future of our homeland. Seireitei and Rukongai wants their legible heir to the throne to be alive and well."

"Okay..."

"I'll be back soon." He embraced her in his arms and whispered in her ear, "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Come on Hinamori-kun, it's time to go," Kira said.

Once the two lovers are set apart once more, she turned to her childhood friend and nodded. "Okay, let's go."

With that said, the friends from Seireitei have left Aisu no Ryu with his duties. He removed his long sword from its sheath and prepared for one hell of a fight. His eyes narrowed. "It's only a matter of time until it begins."

In the end, his prediction was correct. It didn't take long for him to engage in a fight. Out of all opponents, it had to be her. Hi no Tori suddenly made her presence known from above. Just as she is about to cut him, Hitsugaya looked up and blocked the first attack with his sword. They battled one another for dominance until he suddenly pushed her away.

"Aisu no Ryu," she suddenly said. "What are you doing here?"

"Who knows," he replied in his voice changed tone. "You have to defeat me to find out!"

The two thieves clashed blades with one another. After swinging his sword at her a third time, he ducked to dodge her assault. He elbowed her in the gut causing her to wince in pain. Then, his next attack is followed by a diagonal sword swing. Unfortunately, Hi no Tori recovered quickly and evaded the strike. She ran off in a northern direction, trying to separate herself from the guards. With a bit of luck, she would be alone with her secret crush.

Hitsugaya followed her all the way to the grand hall before trading sword swings with one another. At one point, he threw a several shurikens in her direction in an attempt to slow her down. Once his efforts have paid off, he close in on her and cut her with his sword. Noticing what he is trying to do, Hi no Tori parried against his attack by changing the course of his sword swing with a kick. However, that is not the end of it. Aisu no Ryu retaliated by twisting his body around and throwing a kick himself. She blocked it with her arm.

"To be honest, I don't want to fight you anymore," Ume admitted.

"And why is it?" Toshiro asked.

"The reason is because...I-I love you."

All it took is a short matter of seconds before he could register the information in his mind. He pulled back, creating some distance between himself and the female thief. "W-What, you love me?"

She silently nodded with agreement. "Yes."

The eerie silence filled the grand hall for a few long moments as Hitsugaya tried to come up with a way to not hurt her feelings. She does have some qualities that caught his attention, but it is not enough to make him fall in love with her. It is not comparable to the deep feelings he has for the Princess of Seireitei. "I appreciate your honesty Hi no Tori, but...I don't have the same feelings for you," he explained. "To be honest, I'm in love with someone else. I'm really sorry, but please try to understand my sentime-"

All of a sudden, his eyes widened. After feeling something pierce through his body. When he looked down, he saw the blade of a sword stick out from the side of his abdomen. Before he could turn around and retaliate, he was hit hard on the back of his neck. As a result, his vision became blurry.

_"S-Shit, I-I let my guard down..."_

He closed his eyes and soon blacked out.

Ume was shocked at what happened. She raised her head up to see her bodyguard, Nagara Koji holding the unconscious injured thief by the wrists. "Good job Hi no Tori, you've caught one of the intruders," he said. "Now, let's see what's under that disguise."

With a short nod, she walked up to him. This is it; she is going to find out Aisu no Ryu's identity. Despite the nervousness, she extended a hand out and began to put down his cloak hood. Moments later, his mouth mask and finally his black bandanna are removed to reveal the culprit's face.

"Well, what do we have here? It turned out to be one of them after all."

_"Oh my gosh, Aisu no Ryu is Captain Hitsugaya."_

* * *

**References**

_**Aisu no Ryu**_ - Ice Dragon; Hitsugaya's codename as the notorious thief of Rukongai, _**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Hai** - _Yes,_** Hime**_ - Princess,_** Hi no Tori**_ - Fire Bird; Princess Ume's codename as the thief of the Higashi Region

* * *

**Author's Note:** Just when we thought that everything has gone well, Toshiro had to be the replacement hostage. What's even worse is that they know his identity now! O.o Ah, what is going to happen next? Well, there's only one way to find out. You have to wait for the next update. Please review! Thanks.


	16. Intentions

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note****:** What the hay? Why wait three more days for another chapter when you can have it now? Yay, it's an early update! Special thanks goes to my wonderful reviewers: **Ziya Hitsugaya, icyangel27, k a y - t h i, vampireacademygirls, HyourinmaruIce, tlg, KnowledgeandImagination, satomika, applestoapples, anime16, becomeafan, superattackpea**. Here is chapter sixteen. Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking." Flash Back. **Short Flash Back.**  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Sixteen:** Intentions

Princess Momo closed her eyes and let out a sigh. She raised her head and looked at the eastern horizon. It has been about twelve hours since the last time she saw her boyfriend. Now, she started to get very worried; something might have happened to him. "Please come back soon..."

"Hinamori-kun, you're already awake," said a voice.

Turning to her pale blond haired friend and his Trio Knight companions, she nodded with agreement. "Yeah, I'm waiting for Toshiro to return."

"I see; he hasn't come back yet."

"He should have been back by now," Shuhei stated.

"Hitsugaya-taicho better not be captured by them," Renji said.

"Daijobou Hinamori-hime," Ichimaru replied upon joining in on the conversation. "Hitsugaya-kun is not a weak person. If he was, you would have never asked him to become a Royal Guard Captain in the first place, right?"

She let out a soft smile. "Yes, you do serve a good point. I should give him complete faith that he's able to escape from the Higashi Castle safely."

"I'm glad to see that you're acting very optimistic. Now, it's time to clean up and get moving. We're almost at the border to Rukongai."

"I understand."

With a short nod of agreement, the gray haired captain left the princess alone with the Trio Knights to check up on his childhood friend. Renji suddenly stood up from his seat and began doing some stretches. In the meantime, Hisagi stood up and started collecting the leftovers from this morning's breakfast. "Hisagi-san, Abarai-kun, Kira-kun, can you three do me a big favour?" the Princess of Seireitei suddenly asked.

The Trio Knights stopped what they were doing to turn their attention to Momo. "What is it you want us to do, Hinamori-kun?" Izuru questioned.

"I want you guys to keep Ichimaru-taicho and Rangiku-san from knowing that I'm not with you guys."

"Wait, what?" Renji asked.

"What are you planning to do?" Hisagi further asked.

With her head raised up, she answered with great determination, "I'm going to go back and find Toshiro."

* * *

Hitsugaya stirred for a bit before he opened his eyes. Just as he is about to scan the area, he suddenly let out a hiss. He looked down and noticed his bleeding injury on his side. Unable to tend to it, he let out a curse. _"At this rate, I'm going to eventually bleed to death." _

"Well, you're finally awake," said a voice. When he turned to where the voice is coming from, he saw Koji and an unfamiliar person on the other side of the cell. His eyes narrowed, not liking his situation at all. Judging from the way she is dressed and comparing her looks to Momo, he has a pretty good idea who she is. "After so long, I finally get the chance to meet my niece's fiance. It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro."

"You must be Queen Kyoko of the Higashi Region."

A grin appeared on her face. "How expected of a Royal Guard Captain to be well informed. It's also one of the qualities needed for one to become King."

"Where are you getting at with this?"

"Oh nothing really except it's really unfortunate that someone as bright as you have to meet his end so soon."

"I see," Toshiro answered. "You plan to kill me."

"That's correct; once you're dead, the young Princess of Seireitei will fall into deep misery to the point where she is unable to take her place on the throne. In the end, I will take her place and become the Queen of Seireitei."

"Momo is not a weak person who will give in to your demands. Even at the cost of losing her future with me, she will do what is best for Rukongai and Seireitei. The people will help and support her in order to become the proper ruler they wanted her to be, not you."

Then, she gave him a serious look. "You know what, you're starting to annoy me. That's why I warned Aizen to get rid of every single rebel in Rukongai in order to prevent an overthrow in the near future. However, he had to go his own way and let things happen the way they are."

His eyes widened with surprise. Who would have thought that their previous enemy has something to do with his current situation? "You know Aizen?"

"Yes, I knew him. We met a couple of times in the past," she explained. "I knew his intentions of wanting the throne and what better way than to use him to see what little rats I needed to get rid of. Unfortunately, he failed to get rid of you, a mere peasant boy."

There was a brief pause.

"Anyway, it's time to finish what he started and use the pretend hostage excuse to get Princess Momo to give up her seat to the throne."

She turned to Koji.

"Let's go Nagara, leave him be to die in his cell."

"Yes, your Majesty," the faithful servant replied, bowing down to her.

"Have fun here while it lasts, Hitsugaya Toshiro."

Once they left the dungeon, the white haired thief closed his eyes and let out a sigh. Once again, his life is in jeopardy. He only has a certain amount of time before he breathes his last breath. He reopened his eyes and looked up a the ceiling. After a few moments of silence, his eyes narrowed. He has come to a conclusion. _"It's risky, but I just have to bet my chances on it. Hopefully by then, I still have the strength to fight back."_

* * *

_"I said before that I would show you no mercy. However, a part of me believes that you're much better than that. After fighting against you several times, I have noticed you have never done any serious damage to me. It feels as if you're holding back." He suddenly changed the grip on her sword and pointed the hilt toward her. "Because of that, I have decided to let you go once more."_

_"You do understand that having a kind heart will get you into trouble someday," she said while taking her sword back._

_"I'm fully aware of that," Toshiro replied. "In the past, it has caused me all sorts of problems, leading to many consequences. Along the way, I lost many things including my last living relative, my grandmother."_

_"Hitsugaya-taicho..."_

_He let out a faint smile. "She always told me to ignore what others say and now that I think about it, I understand what she meant. I must always stay true to myself no matter how bad things get."_

_"I see; so you're that type of person," Ume said. "You have a lot of pride."_

_"I suppose so..."_

* * *

Princess Higashi Ume stood in front of the window, looking down at where the dungeon is located. _"All this time, I've been infatuated by Captain Hitsugaya's actions as the thief of Rukongai."_

She placed a hand on the curtain before gripping onto it. She lowered her head.

_"Maybe that is one of the reasons Momo-chan fell in love with him in the first place; she knew his identity."_ She let out a sigh, turned around, and leaned against the windowsill. _"In the end, I lost. There is no room for me in his life. I have no right to interfere with that's going on between them. It would make him sad if I take her away."_

_**"I appreciate your honesty Hi no Tori, but...I don't have the same feelings for you. To be honest, I'm in love with someone else. I'm really sorry, but please try to understand."**_

She closed her eyes.

_"Even if I left them alone, my mother intends to end the happy times they're having together just like what she did to mine." _

* * *

_She heard agonizing screams in the hallway. Five year old Princess Higashi curled up on her bed in fear in response to the noise. A while ago, she found her mother in the living room, beating a few servants for a crime they didn't mean to do. All they did was make her studies fun to learn. This isn't the first time the Queen has done that. "Why mother?" she wondered. "They didn't do anything wrong."_

_She heard another scream and quickly buried her head in her arms._

_"They're also my friends." She heard the noise again. "Please leave them alone." _

_Without any warning, the door slammed opened. Ume's head was shot up to see the Queen of the Higashi Region in her presence. Furious, she marched over to her bedside and took hold of her arm. Trying to resist the woman, she tried pulling away. However, her strength is nothing compared to hers. By the time her daughter is close to her, she began beating her with a sheath. "This is what happens when you associate with them," Kyoko said. "They're nothing more than little rats who are meant to follow every order we command them to do. As for you, you need to learn not to disobey your mother." _

_"I-I'm sorry!"_

_"You're not sorry!" she snapped. "This isn't the first time I have to do this to you, Ume! It is obvious that you have yet to get the fact through that small brain of yours." _

_"O-Okay, I-I'll stop!" _

_"So, you realize it now? Well, it's too bad that you're going to continue to get beaten until I am certain you've learned your lesson!"_

* * *

Ume opened her eyes and put up a fist up. _"No, I won't let her do that. I won't let Hitsugaya-taicho die here. He doesn't deserve the harsh treatment and neither does Momo-chan." _

After putting it down, she began leaving the bedroom with resolve in her eyes.

_"For the first time in my life, I will make my own choice. I will stop my mother from taking over Seireitei and Rukongai." _

_

* * *

_"Everything is all packed," Hisagi said to the Royal Guard Captain, who is busy looking at the east horizon. "We're all ready to go, Ichimaru-taicho."

"Oh really?" Gin asked, grinning at the short haired teenager. "Now tell me where's Hinamori-chan? I haven't seen her around."

The Trio Knight began looking elsewhere. "Hinamori? I...I haven't seen her around either. Sh-She's probably need to use the washroom right now."

All of a sudden, the gray haired teenager walked up to his face causing the member of the Royal Guard to tense up. He narrowly opened his amber red eyes. "Are you sure, Shuhei?"

"Y-Yes sir."

"Oi Gin, what are you doing intimidating Shuhei?" Matsumoto asked as she walked up to the two teenagers.

At that moment, Ichimaru pulled back (which made Hisagi sigh with relief) and turned to his childhood friend. He let out a smile. "What are you talking about, Ran-chan? I'm not intimidating him."

She put her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look. After a few short moments, she let out a defeated sigh. The Royal Guard Captain can be so mysterious in more ways than one. It sometimes make her question why she could tolerate with him in the first place. "What's wrong, Ichimaru-taicho?" Abarai interrupted as he joined the other three teenagers. "I thought we were heading back to Seireitei now."

"We will all leave once we find Hinamori-chan," Ichimaru said. "What's the point of returning to the palace without our princess?"

It is when the red headed teenager started to feel a bit insecure. _"Shit,"_ Renji thought, glancing back for any sign of the other Trio Knight. _"Where is that guy? He should have been here by now." _

"H-Hey everyone, sorry for taking so long," said a voice from behind.

Everyone turned around to see the Princess of Seireitei, who had her face covered with her cloaked hood, already riding on the horse and waiting for the others to join her. Renji and Hisagi fought to hold back their laughter. The raven haired girl that was supposed to be in their presence is actually their fellow Trio Knight Kira in disguise. Suddenly, a grin appeared on the gray haired teenager's face. At the same time, Matsumoto raised an eyebrow. She could tell that something is different about her. She asked, "Hinamori, have you caught a cold or something?"

The disguised princess silently nodded with agreement in response.

"I see." When Gin walked to his childhood friend's side, she leaned over and whispered, "That's definitely not her."

Ichimaru's grin grew wider, knowing that he's not the only one who is thinking the same thing. Walking over to the impostor Princess of Seireitei, he suddenly exclaimed, "Hinamori-hime, there's a cockroach on you!"

Kira immediately jumped and shouted, "What? Where is it?"

At that moment, he realized what he had just done. Gin and Rangiku stared at the blushing blond haired teenager. "Ara Izuru, I didn't know you really like wearing female clothes."

"Damn it, I knew it's too good to try and fool that genius fox," Renji said to Hisagi.

"No kidding," he replied.

"Enough with all the fun and games, where's Hinamori?" the strawberry orange haired woman asked.

"Well, um...you see...there's a good story behind it, Matsumoto-san."

"I don't care what happened. I want to know where is she," Rangiku exclaimed. "Hitsugaya left me responsible for looking after her. If something did happen to her, he's going to kill me!"

"Alright Ran-chan, enough with all the dramatics," Ichimaru interrupted. "I have a pretty good idea where the young princess went. Now, let's head back to the palace as quickly as possible."

"But Gin, what about Hinamori?"

"She's going to be alright. Besides, when she has a goal, she won't change her mind. We also have to consider that she now has enough knowledge to defend herself on her own." He smiled at her. "Have a little faith in her."

With one look at her childhood friend, Matsumoto let out a defeated sigh. "Alright then, but I still get a bad feeling that something is going to happen."

* * *

Momo let out a yell as she commanded her horse to run to the Higashi Region. She looked up and noticed the familiar kingdom coming to view. _"I'm almost there."_

At that moment, something was shot down at the horse's feet causing the animal to stop. The four legged animal let out a neigh as it stood on its two hind legs. Hinamori pulled on the reigns as she told it to calm down. Once the horse settled down, the Princess of Seireitei looked down and noticed that the weapon aimed at her was a sharp kunai. When she raised her head to look for the culprit, she found her appearing out from behind a nearby tree.

"Hi no Tori."

The female thief placed a hand on the bottom of her mask and took it off, revealing her identity to Hinamori. Her eyes widened with surprise.

"Ume, you're the thief that has been causing us trouble this whole time?"

She closed her eyes and nodded with agreement. When she reopened them, Princess Higashi said, "I understand if it's hard for you to accept, but I want to help you rescue Captain Hitsugaya."

* * *

**References**

_**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Hime **_- Princess, _**Hi no Tori**_ - Fire Bird; Princess Ume's identity as the female thief of the Higashi Region

* * *

**Author's Note:** Gah, she has finally shown herself to Momo! What will she do? Find out what happens next in chapter seventeen of The Next Greatest Treasure. Please review! Thanks.


	17. A Princess's Fight

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note****:** Gah, I'm on a fan fiction writing spree! It's another early update of this story. Yay! Special thanks goes to my wonderful reviewers: **icyangel27****, k a y - t h i, KnowledgeandImagination, tlg, peachesandstrawberries, applestoapples, satomika, becomeafan, HyourinmaruIce, MoonLightView, superattackpea, anime16, **and **athfdrizzle.** They're greatly appreciated. What is going to happen next in The Next Greatest Treasure? Well, read and find out. Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking." **Short Flash Back.**  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Seventeen:** A Princess's Fight

"You want to help me rescue Toshiro?" Momo asked the Princess of the Higashi Region. "Why do you want to do this? We're not on the same side."

Ume lowered her head. "During my time back here, I realized something that I wasn't aware of before."

She raised her head, looking directly at the Princess of Seireitei.

"I fell in love with Aisu no Ryu."

There was a brief moment of silence. "Aisu no Ryu...you mean you have gotten attracted to..."

The dark coloured haired girl looked down on the ground and slowly nodded with agreement. "I recently found out that he's Captain Hitsugaya and also, to be honest, I didn't want to be involved in any of this."

She looked up again.

"It's my mother's doing. She forced me to do as she says. If she didn't exist, I would have not done this in the first place."

"Ume..."

"There's also the fact that I developed feelings for him. Considering that, I don't have the cold heart to harm him."

"I-I see..."

Noticing the raven haired girl showing mixed feelings about the situation, Ume reassured her. "It's alright Momo-chan; I don't plan on stepping in between you and Hitsugaya-taicho. Despite what I do, it's not going to change his mind." She let out a soft smile. "I understand that there is no room for me in his love life. He said so himself that he loves you dearly."

_"Toshiro..."_ Hinamori suddenly let out a smile. "Thank you Ume for telling me the truth."

Her words caught her by surprise. "You're not mad at me?"

"I was a little upset, but there is no point for me to continue feeling that way," she replied. "Everyone deserves a chance, no matter which side they're on."

"Momo-chan..."

Who would have thought the Princess of Seireitei could be so forgiving?

The peach girl let out a soft giggle. "Before you ask how I could be forgiving, Toshiro was the one who taught me that lesson. Of course, that was back in the day when he was still living in Rukongai."

"Oh, now I understand why he's such an attractive person. He's physically a tough person while on the inside; he's kind and very sweet."

"Yeah, that's the way he is," Momo agreed. "I wish the best of luck to you; I hope you can find someone else who is just like him."

"I hope so too," Ume replied. "Now, let's go rescue him."

She nodded with agreement. "Hai, but wait a minute; what plan do you have in mind?"

The Princess of the Higashi Region lifted her mask up to her and let out a smirk. "You're going to dress up as Hi no Tori."

* * *

"Captain Ichimaru, you have finally returned to the palace," said one of the lower ranked members of the Royal Guard.

Upon noticing him, the Trio Knights, and the female swordsman enter the Grand Hall, they noticed that there are two particular people missing from the group.

"Captain, where are Hitsugaya-taicho and Hinamori-hime?" another Royal Guard member asked. "Aren't they supposed to be with you?"

"They'll catch up with us later," Gin replied as he walks past his subordinates. "Right now, we need to get our swords sharpened. If my prediction is correct, the Queen of the Higashi Region is going to send her army to attack the palace."

"What?" Kira asked.

"No way, you're serious?" Matsumoto asked.

After he stopped walking, the gray haired captain resumed his attention to his allies and nodded with agreement. "Considering that Hitsugaya-kun is able to rescue her, the next thing Queen Kyoko would do is try to take over Seireitei and Rukongai by force."

Rangiku gave him a stern look. "Sometimes I can't help, but wonder if there is ever going to be day where you don't see what's coming."

He let out a grin. "Who knows..."

She let out a defeated sigh. "I will go and gather up the rest of the army and the medical team together. The rest of you head over to the conference room and prepare for our plan of attack."

The other Trio Knights and Matsumoto nodded with agreement. At the same time, the Royal Guard Captain let out a grin. From there, the guards of the Hinamori Palace started getting ready for the possible fight that is to take place in the near future. _"Everything is going well according to plan."_

* * *

Momo took a deep breath. This is the moment of truth. If she is caught by the guards of the Higashi Castle, her future is as good as water going down the drain. She whispered, "Here it goes..."

She walked into the castle through the front entrance. The peach girl managed to pass a few guards with only having to use body gestures.

**_"Listen to me carefully Momo-chan, Captain Hitsugaya is located in the dungeon cell underneath the castle. In order to get there, you have to go to the washroom on the second floor. Nearby, there is a suit of armour. Close the headgear's lid and it will activate a secret passage to the dungeon. Then, use the passageway to get to him, do you understand?"_**

**_"Yes, but what about you? Where are you going to be?"_**

**_"Don't worry about me; I'll make sure I won't be spotted by them. That way, it will be harder for them to realize that you're not me."_**

**_"Are you sure about this?" _**

**_"I am one hundred percent certain this plan will work. This is my mother we're talking about. After living with her for all my life, I know how she acts and how she thinks from inside out."_**

**_"Okay, if you say so..."_**

At the bottom of the stairs, Hinamori looked back and forth. She also glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one is following her. _"So far, so good."_

She walked up the stairs to the upper level of the castle and made a right. Just as she was about to take a left at the next intersection, she stopped and retreated. After leaning against the wall, she quietly watched two guards walk past her. Once they were gone, the peach girl closed her eyes and let out a relieved sigh.

_"That was a close one. Hopefully, there won't be any more close calls like that one."_

"There you are Hi no Tori," said a voice.

Momo froze on the spot for a moment and slowly turned around. Behind her is the Queen's loyal servant, Nagara Koji._ "Oh no, I just had to jinx it." _

"Your mother would like to speak with you from her room."

With a silent nod of agreement, she followed him to where her aunt is. _"Mou, I have to get out of this mess somehow." _

She bit the bottom of her lip.

_"Think Momo, think."_

Koji opened the door for the female thief in disguise to enter the master bedroom. She saw the Queen of the Higashi Region standing in front of the tall window with her hands together behind her back. With a short bow to her, Nagara said, "Your majesty, she is here."

Kyoko turned around and walked up to Momo. Just as she passed by, she said, "Follow me, Hi no Tori; we're going to the dungeon cell and end the life of that pest of a commoner."

Her eyes narrowed. _"Toshiro..."_

"I see," Koji said. "Even if you intend to use him as a trade hostage, you don't intend to keep him for long."

"He's just extra baggage," the Queen replied to her loyal servant with a grin on her face.

Hinamori's hands turned into fists, not liking how they see her boyfriend as. Regardless, she managed to keep her temper down and obediently follow Kyoko and Koji. _"Don't mind what she says and concentrate on your goal. She'll lead you to where he is." _

* * *

Hitsugaya let out a hiss as he lay down on the cold floor in his cell. He stirred a bit before he clutched his stomach and started letting out deep breaths. Over the past few hours, he was able to break free of his shackles using a needle he hid somewhere in his robes. He raised his hands up to see them covered with blood. He clutched his right hand into a fist. _"They're for sure going to come back. Until then, I have to endure the pain and stay alive."_

All of a sudden, he heard a distant echoing sound. It was soon followed by numerous footsteps. His eyes narrowed with new found determination. After waiting for so long, here is his chance to escape.

_"They're finally here."_

By the time he heard the cell door open, Toshiro turned his head to the side to see Queen Higashi, Nagara, Hi no Tori, and a few guards walk up to him. "To think that you would still be able to do this much despite your injury, you have definitely gotten in my nerves." Kyoko said. "Look at you now, you even went far enough to hurt yourself even more. You probably can't even lift up a sword with those hands."

She let out an evil laugh.

"Oh well, I'll be glad to stop your miseries and end your life right here." The older woman then glanced over her shoulder to look at her daughter. "Hi no Tori kill him."

With that said, the female thief drew her sword out and walked up to the white haired teenager. Just as she was about to strike him down, Hitsugaya rolled over to the side and dodged against the assault. Noticing him resisting and trying to stand up, Koji interfered by kicking him down to the ground. Taking hold of his arms, he told Hi no Tori, "Hurry up and do your job correc-"

All of a sudden, he felt a sharp pain on his shoulder. The thief of the Higashi Region swung her sword down and injured his left shoulder. Upon noticing the open opportunity, Hitsugaya stuck out his leg and knocked the bodyguard off balance. Once he was sent down on one knee, the Royal Guard Captain and the female thief both created some distance between their enemies and themselves.

With a knee on the ground, Toshiro took a quick glance at Hi no Tori and began wondering about her. Why did she suddenly decide to defend him?

Angered by the overturned situation, Queen Kyoko took a step forward and demanded, "What is the meaning of this, Hi no Tori?"

"It's not Hi no Tori you're talking to," she finally said as she removed her mask from her face.

Suddenly, gasps filled the room. At first, Hitsugaya was surprised by the girl under the mask. But after considering what reckless and dangerous things she has done before, a smirk crept up on his face. _"How come I'm not surprised?" _

"You're talking to the Princess of Seireitei, Hinamori Momo."

* * *

**References**

_**Aisu no Ryu**_ - Ice Dragon; Hitsugaya's identity as the notorious thief of Rukongai, _**Hai**_ - Yes, _**Hi no Tori **_- Fire Bird; Princess Ume's identity as the female thief of the Higashi Region, _**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Hime**_ - Princess_**  
**_

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well, what do you know? The princess is the one who saves the thief this time. LOL. How will things fair for Momo and Toshiro? Find out what happens next in chapter eighteen. In the meantime, please review! Thanks.


	18. Countdown

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note****:** Hey everyone! I managed to come back early with another update! Yay! But gah, there are so many things to do; not only I'm in my final two weeks of school, I have my HitsuHina one-shots that are needed to be typed up before my holiday posting due date. There are also The 100 HitsuHina Themes Challenge, Forget Me Not, and this story to work on. So many things to do, but so little time to complete them. Sigh...if only school is already over for the year.

Anyway, special thanks goes to my wonderful reviewers:** m0m0-hImE, tlg, MoonLightView, icyangel27, k a y - t h i, serenity095, KnowledgeandImagination, applestoapples, anime16, satomika****, **and **superattackpea.** Without any further delay, here is chapter eighteen. Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking." _"Thinking."  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Eighteen:** Countdown

"You sure know how to make an entrance."

With one glance at the white haired teenager, she let out a small grin. "That's because I have taken the time to learn it from a certain notorious thief who used to live in Rukongai."

"My dear niece, you have just saved me the trouble of coming over to Seireitei and kill you," Kyoko said.

After taking a step back, Hinamori raised her sword up at the Queen. "The both of us will come out of here alive."

"I know, once all this predicament is over, you two will get married and live a happily ever after. Well, let me tell you the bad news, your dreams won't come true. This is not a fairytale, but harsh reality." Suddenly, she pointed a finger at Toshiro. "No one in any country will ever accept a commoner like him to become ruler of the land!"

"We're well aware of the odds against us," Momo replied. "However, it is I, the Princess of Seireitei, who makes the ultimate decision. As the next heir to the throne, I will marry Toshiro whether they like it or not. For those who are against my decision, the future King will prove himself worthy for his place on the throne."

"Aww, your speech is so touching that it makes me want to puke!" Queen Higashi exclaimed. "Off with their heads!"

Intuitively, she swung her sword to the side and defended against Koji's sneak attack. As the two opponents got caught in a battle of dominance, Hitsugaya got on his feet and noticed two guards coming after him. With their swords drawn out, they tried to cut him as he was running towards them. However, Toshiro evaded the attack by stopping and taking a step back at the last minute.

As they regained balance, the white haired thief twisted his body around to the side and planted a fist deep into his gut. While the first guard went down, the second guard charged at him. Upon eye contact with him, Hitsugaya turned his body and raised his arm up. He chopped his wrist and made the guard drop his weapon. The guard growled at the notorious thief of Rukongai. "Just because you're a little smart kid, it doesn't mean you can defeat me!"

He threw a fist toward Toshiro's face, but it was easily caught by a single palm of his hand. The guard's eyes widened with surprise. "N-Nani?"

Without showing any form of sympathy, he mercilessly elbowed them down to the ground. "I'm only going to tell you this once, I'm not a kid."

By the time he turned his attention to the Queen of the Higashi Region, he noticed that she has gotten out and locked them inside the cell. "I would like to stay here, but I have some important matters to attend to. I have some taking over to do."

"Wait!" Hitsugaya called out as he tried to run after her only to be stopped by the dungeon bars. He pounded the bottoms of his fists against it and let out a growl. She has already left with the other guards. "Damn it!"

He then turned to see how his princess is doing. From the way things are, it seems like she has managed to keep up with him. He knew if things were to continue the way they are, it will be only a matter of time before the difference of experience show up.

_"The battlefield needs to be bigger."_

After thinking quickly, he took out his hidden needle and started picking on the lock.

Meanwhile, Momo moved to the side to dodge Koji's attack. However, she soon found that her back has met with the wall. Just as he thrust his sword, she rolled over and dodged the attack. While he was trying to pull out his sword from the wall, Hinamori ran to Hitsugaya's side. "Are you sure you're able to pick the lock?"

"Don't worry; my wrists are fine," he replied. "They're only covered with blood because I was clutching my hands over the injury on my abdomen."

She let out a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness you're alright."

All of a sudden, they heard a soft click.

"The lock is open!"

Without any warning, Nagara swung his sword down on them. In response to his attack, Momo stepped over to the side while Toshiro caught his sword with both his bare hands above his head. Using this opportunity, Hinamori threw her mask toward his face, blocking his sights on them. "Momo, this way!" she heard him call out.

The peach girl ran out of the cell first before he did the same. Once they were out, Toshiro closed and locked the cell while keeping Koji inside. With that done, the young lovers escaped from the dungeon to the second floor hallway.

* * *

Queen Kyoko retreated to the front courtyard of the castle where an army of guards are waiting. "Your Majesty," said one of the guards. "All the preparations are done. We are ready to go at any time."

"Good, now let's move out!" she exclaimed.

"Yes ma'am!" Assisted by her servants, she got into her carriage and closed the door shut. After a few horses let out a neigh, guards began their journey to the soon to be invaded land. "Next stop, Seireitei and Rukongai!"

Once they were gone, Ume came out of her hiding spot in the bushes while riding on Momo's horse. She heard the whole conversation.

The Princess of the Higashi Region pulled on the reigns causing the horse to let out a neigh. With a flick, she commanded her horse to closely follow the army from the Higashi Region. "I hope they take my word seriously and prepare for the arrival of my mother's army."

* * *

Captain Ichimaru was looking after his army, who were busy gathering their armour and sharpening their blades, when he heard the nearby door slam open. Heads turned to the side to see the red headed Trio Knight out of breath. "What's wrong, Renji?" Gin asked. "You look like you have just run a marathon."

Ignoring the older teenager's playful comment, he walked up to him and handed him a rolled up scroll. After putting his hands on his sides, he said, "Someone has sent a messenger bird to drop of this here."

Ichimaru unrolled the scroll and read its contents.

"Apparently, the sender is warning us that the Higashi Region army is coming to attack us. They will be at the border within a few hours."

"What should we do, Gin?" Matsumoto asked.

Once he's done, the Royal Guard Captain put the scroll on the table and said, "There's no more time to waste, everyone is to pack their stuff and wait in the courtyard. From there, I will explain our plan of attack."

"Yes sir!" the guards exclaimed.

"Izuru, Shuhei, Renji, and Ran-chan, we have a few things to go over right now."

They looked at one another before nodding with agreement. Gather around the gray haired captain, he went over the important issue he has brought up.

* * *

Hitsugaya kicked a door open to reveal a room filled with weapons. He and Momo stepped in and began searching through the stuff. "Why are we here, Toshiro?" the peach girl asked. "Shouldn't we be escaping?"

"We will do that once I recover my weapons," he replied. "Those guys took them away from me."

"I see..."

"By the way, how were you able to get a hold of Hi no Tori's clothes?"

"Ume let me borrow them."

All of a sudden, he stopped rummaging through the stuff. "So my guess is right after all. Hi no Tori's identity is the Princess of the Higashi Region."

Momo nodded with agreement, turned around, and said, "Don't be mad at her, she's on our side. She told me the whole story."

He then lowered his head. Turning to the peach girl, he asked, "Did...she tell you about her interest in me?"

There was a short pause. "Yes, she told me about you being her crush."

"I see..."

She let out a smile. "It's alright, Toshiro; I forgave her after hearing her talk about your rejection speech."

Hitsugaya's head shot up. "What? She told you how I rejected her?"

Momo nodded. "Yep, I think it's really sweet of you to say that you still love me."

Toshiro's turned a shade darker. Looking away from her, he muttered, "My words are not sweet, it's sappy. I had a difficult time trying not to hurt her feelings."

Walking up to the white haired captain, she took hold of his hands and gave him a peck on his lips. It didn't take long for him to give in and return her sentiments by doing the same.

"Where is she now?"

"Actually, I'm not quite sure," Hinamori admitted. "All she said that she is going to keep her distance away from me. You know, I'm currently acting as Hi no Tori."

"I see."

She looked over to the side and noticed something familiar. "Toshiro, I think your weapons are over there!" the princess pointed out. "They're all on the table!"

Walking over to the standing furniture, Hitsugaya began equipping himself with his kunais, shurikens, smoke bombs, explosives, grappling hook, and finally his long sword.

"Did you have everything?" Momo asked.

The white haired teenager nodded with agreement. "Yeah, let's get out of this dump."

"I beg to differ," said a voice. Toshiro and Momo turned their attention to the door to find Koji in their presence. With serious looks on their faces, both lovers drew their swords out. "I won't let you escape from this place."

"We'll see about that," Hinamori replied.

Hitsugaya threw a smoke bomb on the ground in front of them, concealing themselves in the smoke. During his moment of doubt, they used this opportunity to ambush him. Toshiro is the first to swing his sword at Nagara. However, his attempt failed because the jet black haired guard ducked down. At that moment, Momo raised her sword above her head and swing it down. Koji responded by defending against the attack with his sword.

It is when the white haired captain changed his grip on his bladed weapon and swung it toward his side. Just as he was about to strike, Hitsugaya's intuitive gut started bothering him. For some reason, he sensed danger from Queen Higashi's loyal servant. After carefully watching his opponent's movements, he confirmed that his intuition is correct. "Momo, pull away!" he suddenly exclaimed at the raven haired girl.

At that moment, she nodded with agreement and began to do what she was told. However, Nagara has already drawn several acupuncture needles between his fingers and commenced his attack on her. _"No, I can't dodge him!"_

It is when the Royal Guard Captain got in between them. With his long sword held horizontally across his face, he used both hands to tilt the blade a bit forward. After making the appropriate adjustments, light from the sun rays ended up reflecting into his opponent's eyes. His plan worked.

In response to his retaliation, Koji let out a wincing yell as he shut his eyes closed. He turned his body to the side as he covered his face with an arm. He yelled out, "You little bastard!"

"Let's go Momo!" Toshiro called out, ushering her to leave the room with him.

"Ah hai!" she replied back as she followed. The Royal Guard Captain and the Princess of Seireitei retreated upstairs to the upper level of the castle so that they can buy some time. They hid in the music room. After a several deep breaths, Hinamori asked, "Are you able to keep going with that injury, Toshiro?"

"I'm alright Momo; I won't let a simple injury get the better of me." She gave him a short nod. "Hopefully, I bought us enough time to escape. We have some catching up to do or else Queen Higashi invades Seireitei and Rukongai."

"I hope Ichimaru-taicho is aware that this might happen."

"It's alright," Hitsugaya replied. "Knowing that weirdo of a genius, he has already taken the necessary precautions. While we're away, he and the others will do their best to defend our country from being taken over to the likes of that aunt of yours."

* * *

**References**

_**Nani**_ - What , _**Hai **_- Yes, _**Taicho **_- Captain

* * *

**Author's Note:** Now, all Toshiro and Momo needs to do is escape from the Higashi Castle. Will they be able to do it? Find out in my next update. In the meantime, please review! Thanks.


	19. An All Out Battle

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note****:** Gah, blasted exams; it's sucking the life out of me! Let the exam (study) period be over already, argh! Anyway, thank you everyone for being so patient especially my wonderful reviewers: **icyangel27, k a y - t h i, KnowledgeandImagination, satomika, applestoapples, HyourinmaruIce**_ (x2)_**, sakurarules233, superattackpea****, **and **anime16**. With no more delays, here is chapter nineteen of The Next Greatest Treasure. Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking."_  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Nineteen:** An All-Out Battle

"Everyone stay calm and listen to my instructions!" Matsumoto yelled out. "To ensure your safety, it is recommended that everyone take shelter somewhere in the center of Rukongai and Seireitei!"

People in Seireitei and Rukongai were scrambling into their homes, nearby stores, and pub shops. Word from inside the Hinamori Palace has been spread out to the land. An all-out battle is going to take place at the border to the Higashi Region. "Mama, what is going on?" one of the Rukongai children asked. "Why are there so many people from the palace walking through the streets?"

"Hurry up and come inside," his mother replied. "We need to pack our belongs and do what Rangiku and Gin tells us to do."

After repeating the announcement several more times, the strawberry orange haired woman let out a sigh and turned her attention to her companions. "That should do the trick," she said. "Hopefully, they'll co-operate with us."

"I'm certain the Rukongai people will listen to you because of your past relationship with them," Ichimaru pointed out. "However, the Seireitei people might need a little more convincing."

"That's what I'm worried about. Without Hinamori's help, I doubt they'll listen to a word I say."

Suddenly, Gin let out a grin. "Daijobou, I have already gotten someone else to do the job."

"Oh yeah, you must have asked Yoruichi-san and Urahara-san to do it."

"Correct."

"Yo, it looks like you guys are ready for battle," said a voice.

The Trio Knights, Matsumoto, and Captain Ichimaru turned their heads to see Shunsui and Jushiro join them on their respected horses. "Kyoraku-san, Ukitake-san, are you guys planning on joining us in the battlefield?" Rangiku asked.

"We'll do so once we finish our little mission," Kyoraku replied upon fixing the position of his straw hat.

"Little mission?" Kira questioned. "What is it?"

"You'll find out when we come back."

"Be careful out there, okay?" Ukitake said.

"We will," Renji answered.

"See you later."

"Bye," Rangiku replied.

Once they were gone, the Trio Knights huddled with one another. Renji asked, "Who exactly are they?"

"I have no idea," Hisagi replied.

"They're probably Hitsugaya-taicho's, Ichimaru-taicho's, and Matsumoto-san's allies from Rukongai," Kira suggested.

"Oh, now that makes perfect sense," Abarai said.

Matsumoto then turned to Gin, who just smiled the whole time. "You told those two to do something, didn't you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Ran-chan," he replied.

She folded her arms over her chest. "You're so stingy."

"Ichimaru-taicho, we should quicken the pace," Kira suggested.

The two childhood friends looked up into the sky to see that sun has begun to set. "Hn, I suppose you're right about that, Izuru. Let's move on out!"

"Hai!" everyone exclaimed in unison.

* * *

After the door slowly opened, Hitsugaya peeked out to look back and forth. Seeing that there is no one in sight, he cautiously stepped out into the hallway. He looked to the left and then he look to the right. By the time he let out a relieved sigh, he turned around and ushered Hinamori to come out. "The coast is clear," he said.

She stayed close to his side while he was on the lookout for the Queen's loyal servant. After walking down the hallway for a few minutes, Hitsugaya stopped and leaned against the wall at the entrance to the top level of the castle. Suddenly, Momo asked, "Toshiro, do you smell something?"

Wondering what she is talking about, he closed his eyes and smelled the air. When he reopened them, he answered, "Yeah, it smells like something is burning."

Following where the burning air is coming from, they turned their heads to the side to find smoke elevating to the ceiling. The young lovers ran to the side of the hallway, took hold of the staircase rails and looked down. A large wildfire is spreading throughout the lower level of the Higashi Castle. Hitsugaya hissed between his teeth and let out a curse.

"Shit, that guy plans on taking us down with the castle."

"We have to get out of here quickly or else we're going to be trapped in here!" Momo exclaimed.

They took another look down and noticed that the fire is starting to spread to the upper level. They quickly put on their masks over their mouths and noses. "We have to go higher and find an escape route from there."

The Princess of Seireitei nodded with agreement. "Hai."

Hitsugaya and Hinamori ran through the hallway in search of the upper level staircase. By the time they found a spiral staircase, they began their race against the rising smoke and blazing fire. Just as he passed the midway point, Toshiro sensed danger ahead. In response, he stopped and leaned back to dodge the attack. He retaliated by swinging his sword toward his opponent.

When Momo finally caught up, she saw her boyfriend is involved in a sword fight with none other than Koji. "Toshiro..."

She glanced back and notices the fire is quickly catching up. She ran up the stairs as fast as she could. Just as she was about to crash into Hitsugaya and Nagara, she panted her hands on their heads and did a midair hand stance. After that, she flipped and landed on the other side safely on her feet. "You're not getting away!" Nagara exclaimed at her.

Just as he was about to run after the peach girl, Hitsugaya got in his way by continuing to clash blades with him. "I won't let you lay a hand on Momo," he said.

Koji let out a grin. "Sorry lover boy, but I have a date with her."

Angered, Toshiro pushed him back causing him to lose his balance. Without any moment to think about it, he kicked him in the stomach. As a result, he fell and rolled down a few stairs before Hitsugaya caught up with his lover, who is on top of the stairs and taking a look at the other side of the door. "Momo, what's wrong? Why haven't you ran ahead of me?"

Turning to the white haired captain, she replied, "Toshiro, the upper level is caught on fire too!"

"What?" He took a quick peek through the door before he quickly pulled back. Suddenly, he kicked against the door, cursing, "Damn it, we have nowhere else to run without us having to do something crazy."

He turned around and noticed that the Queen's loyal servant is not following them anymore. "Where's Nagara?"

"He either got burnt to death or found a way to escape from this place," Hitsugaya replied. "I'm guessing that he did option number two."

"Well, the only other escape route is through the window."

They turned their attention to the closed window next to them. Toshiro let out a defeated sigh. "Once this is all over, I need a vacation."

Momo giggled. "We will have one when we go on our honeymoon."

With one look at the peach girl, he cracked a smile. "Yeah, you're right about that."

She nodded with agreement. "Hai."

Toshiro took off his sheath for a moment so that he can take off his cloak. Once he put his sheath back on his back, he put his sword back where it belongs. Once Momo put away her sword, she threw several kunais at the window, breaking the glass. After that, she walked to her boyfriend's side and wrapped her arms around his waist. With his free arm wrapped around hers, the young lovers looked at one another and gave each other a kiss. "Ready?"

"Yes."

They suddenly heard a fiery crack. They glanced back to see that the wildfire is moments away from burning them. With no time to waste, Toshiro and Momo ran towards the window and jumped out. Seconds later, the fire in the castle exploded.

Meanwhile, Koji was looking out in the distance at the burning structure. As his horse is wagging its tail and eating grass, the loyal servant of the Higashi Region's ruler let out a smirk. "There is no way for them to escape from there," he said. "They're long gone with the wind now."

Koji then pulled on the reins of his horse and flicked it. He commanded the animal to turn around and run towards the western direction.

"It's time for me to join the war."

* * *

"Captain Ichimaru, everyone is in position and are ready to engage into combat at any moment!" said one of the guards.

"Alright, please stand by," Gin replied.

"Hai!"

Once he is gone, Kira commanded his horse to stand next to his captain's. "How are the others doing, Izuru?"

"Abarai-kun are ready for your signal," the Trio Knight said. "As for Hisagi-san and Matsumoto-san, they have just arrived at their assigned destination. They are getting into position."

"Just in the nick of time; the army has finally arrived."

At the horizon on the east, the guards from the Higashi Region appeared. At the end of them is Queen Kyoko. "Surrender yourselves, people of Seireitei and Rukongai!"

"Never!" Ichimaru exclaimed. "This is Princess Hinamori's kingdom! We won't go down without a fight! We won't let you step foot into our land!"

"So be it." The Higashi Region's ruler drew her sword out from her sheath and yelled out, "Kill every single person who opposes us!"

At the same time, Gin drew his sword out. Lifting it high above his head, he gave the signal to his assigned group of guards to attack first. "There's his signal," Abarai exclaimed as he drew his sword. "Let's fight!"

"Yes sir!" the subordinates exclaimed.

As the first group of Seireitei's Royal Guard run into combat, the second group of guards are keeping a close eye on the battle. "The war has finally started," Rangiku said.

Hisagi nodded with agreement. "Yeah..."

The strawberry orange haired woman looked over at the eastern horizon and let out a sigh.

"I can understand why you're worried about Hitsugaya-taicho and Hinamori, but we have to focus on the battle."

"Hisagi-san, Ichimaru-taicho has given the next signal!" exclaimed one of their subordinates.

"Alright, let's move on out!"

"Hai!"

After letting out another sigh, Matsumoto regained her composure. Commanding her horse to take the lead of the group, she drew her sword out and called out, "Charge!"

With that said, the second group of Royal Guards joined with the first group into battle.

* * *

**References**

_**Daijobou**_ - It's Alright,_** Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Hai **_- Yes**  
**

* * *

**Author's Note:** Oh dear, war has already started at the border of Rukongai. What is going to happen next? Are Toshiro and Momo going to be alright? Find out in my next update. In the meantime, please review! Thanks.


	20. Traitor

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note****:** Oh yeah, exams are finally over and I'm out of school for the rest of the year! Yay! _*shreds all the exam rough paper notes into tiny little pieces and throws them up into the air*_ Ahem, now that I have about three weeks of winter vacation, it's time to get back to my favourite routine: write HitsuHina fan fictions to satisfy my everlasting hunger for HitsuHina love. LOL.

Anyway, let's start with the first update: chapter twenty of The Next Greatest Treasure. Thank you everyone for your patience especially my awesome reviewers: **tlg, HyourinmaruIce, k a y - t h i, MoonLightView, KnowledgeandImagination, anime16, NeonCookies O.o, applestoapples, satomika,** **becomeafan**, and **athfdrizzle**. Without any further adieu, happy reading!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking."_ "Thinking." Flash Back.  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Twenty:** Traitor

After taking a look down at the forest way below him and his girlfriend, Hitsugaya closed his eyes and let out a relieved sigh. He whispered, "Thank the heavens for letting us live a little longer."

He looked below to see how she is doing. It is when he noticed something.

"Momo, I appreciate that you stop cuddling against my rear," Toshiro said. "Your weight is making my pants slip down."

In response to his comment, Hinamori turned a few shades darker and turned her head to the side. "I-It's just a coincidence I ended up hanging onto you like this."

Suddenly, a thought came into mind.

"Hey, what does that suppose to mean? Are you trying to say that I'm fat?"

"What are you talking about?" Hitsugaya asked. "Of course, you're not fat! I was able to carry you while we were trying to run away from those guards!"

Without any warning, they start going lower and lower. The peach girl looked up and asked, "W-What's going on?"

When Toshiro raised his head up to take a look, he hissed between his teeth. "Damn it, the fire is starting to burn through my cloak. If we keep holding on like this, we'll both meet our end below."

"Shiro-chan, hurry up and think of something fast!"

"I'm working on it!" he snapped. "At least help me come up with some ideas too."

"Okay, okay!"

Hitsugaya bit the bottom of his lip, frustrated over the situation he and the future Queen of Seireitei are in. _"Damn it, Toshiro think."_

As the cloak continued to rip apart, the two lovers are steps closer to their doom. "Ah T-Toshiro!"

"Do you have a kunai on you right now?"

"Yes, I do have one hidden in my sash. Why did you ask?"

"We're going to use it to slide down the castle wall," he replied.

Realizing the meaning of that action, the peach girl nodded with agreement. Without any warning, she let go of his waist and started falling. Knowing that she doesn't have much time left, Hinamori quickly pulled out her pointed short range weapon. With all her strength, she planted it into the stone wall and started sliding down. Just as she was doing that, she suddenly lost her grip and let go of the kunai. "Toshiro!"

"Momo!"

Noticing that she is in danger, Hitsugaya let go of his cloak and started falling as well. As he is trying to close the distance between them, the white haired captain took out his grappling hook and threw one end towards her. Once he saw her take hold of it, he caught Hinamori's lost kunai with his free hand and forcefully pierce it into the castle wall. As he is sliding down, Toshiro wrapped his other hand with rope so that he doesn't lose his grip. After a few seconds, their falling has slowly come to a stop.

"Don't...let go of...that rope!" the young Royal Guard Captain said as he struggled to support her weight on his hand and wrist.

"I'm trying to get a good grip on it!" Hinamori exclaimed as she took hold of the rope with both her hands.

Hitsugaya looked up at his other hand and noticed he is losing grip on his kunai. He hissed between his teeth. _"Damn it, I can't hold on much longer."_

Suddenly, Momo noticed his hand started slipping. _"There's not much time left until he has to let go. I have to think of something and fast!"_

The Princess of Seireitei then looked down and started scanning for anything that could help them get out of this mess. It is when she noticed something. Momo raised her head up and said to her boyfriend, "Toshiro, we can let go now!"

"What are you tal-"

After stopping his words in the middle of his sentence, he noticed what she meant. With a nod, they both let go. Before long, they both fell into the arms of two familiar people. "Daijobou Hinamori-hime?"

When Momo opened her eyes, she saw she was caught by none other than Jushiro. "Ukitake-san, what are you doing here?"

"Oi Ukitake, why do you have to be the one who catches the princess?" said another voice.

They turned their heads to see Kyoraku tossing Toshiro aside, making him fall to the ground. "Ouf!"

"Toshiro!" The long white haired man let go of the princess so that she can run to his side. She got down on her knees and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Old man, you didn't have to do that," Hitsugaya snapped at the straw hat man as he is numbing the lingering pain on his behind with a hand.

"Oh sorry little guy, I didn't notice."

"You bastard..."

"Now is not the time to be hanging around here," Jushiro pointed out. "Let's get out of here. We'll explain everything to you along the way."

When the young lovers both got up on their feet, they nodded with agreement. Noticing that the two older men have brought Toshiro's horse with them, he and Momo ran to the animal's side. After he got on the horse first, Hitsugaya took his princess's hand and hoisted her up behind him. "Hold on tight," the white haired captain said to his princess.

With a nod of agreement, she wrapped her arms around his waist. He then took hold of the reigns and commanded the four legged animal to run with the other two horses. "How did you know that we were here?" Hinamori asked.

"Gin sent us here to look for you," Ukitake replied.

"How come I'm not surprised about it?" Hitsugaya said.

"By now, the war at the border has already started," Kyoraku pointed out. "You two need to get there and lead the army to victory."

The future rulers of the Seireitei and Rukongai kingdoms both nodded with agreement. "Have you seen Nagara along the way?"

"As a matter of fact, we did meet with him," Shunsui said. "Luckily for us, we managed to take the scenic road in order to avoid a confrontation."

"Come to think of it," Ukitake said, "we have seen Princess Ume pass by us."

"You saw Princess Higashi?" Toshiro asked.

"What about the Queen's army?" Momo further questioned.

"We definitely saw every one of them," Kyoraku replied.

Hinamori let out a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness that neither of you were hurt."

"Thanks for telling us the update," Hitsugaya said. "Now, I have a good idea what is going on and what steps we need to take once we get there."

"Sugoi Hitsugaya, you must have already thought of a plan to stop this war."

"The plan I have in mind will change accordingly once we join the battle. Let's pick up the pace before more people die, trying to protect our land."

"Yes sir!"

* * *

"Fire!" Kira exclaimed, commanding his subordinates to fire their arrows at the approaching Higashi army. Seconds later, agonizing screams and yells were heard as a handful of them were put down to the ground. "Wait for my next signal to fire!"

"Yes sir!" they shouted in unison after they prepared to fire once more.

The pale blond haired teenager then turned to his superior. "Ichimaru-taicho..."

"I know Izuru," he replied. "Their guards are too much for our little army to handle. However, like I always say, it's not quantity that matters. It is quality that does. I'm going in!"

"Hai!"

With that said, the gray haired captain kicked the sides of his horse, commanding the animal to charge into the battlefield. "The Captain of the Royal Guard has finally joined the battle!" exclaimed one of the Higashi guards.

"Kill him and then the war is over!" said one of the higher ups.

"Yes sir!"

They charged at the running horse and began swing their swords at the animal. In reaction to the attack, the horse let out a neigh and stopped. It stood on its hind legs and began kicking the guards away. During this time, Ichimaru jumped off his ride and began his fight against the Higashi Guards. He swung his sword around at his enemies and skilfully cut them down. As more and more people were taken down by his sword, his grin grew. "My my, you guys have to do better than regular straightforward tactics in order to stop me."

"Don't listen to what he says!" said one of the guards. "Keep crossing blades with him! Sooner or later, he will get tired and get defeated by us!"

"How naive you all are."

Sensing several guards trying to attack him from behind, he changed the grip on the hilt of his blade and stabbed it through his haori. Without any warning, a mysterious purple gas is excreted into the air. The guards ceased their attack and began coughing. "What the hell is this smoke?"

"I-I don't know!"

"Well, I'll answer the question for you," said a voice. "It's a smoke bomb."

The guards turned around and swung their swords where the voice is coming from. However, they only managed to cut through air. "Shit, that guy is playing around with us!"

"Where the hell is he?"

"I'm right here." In a blink of an eye, Gin slashed his sword into various vital points on their bodies before pulling away. Moments later, he watched the blood squirt out of their bodies, the cringing looks on their faces, and their agonizing yells as they fell to the ground. "I love the reactions on their faces. They never cease to amuse me."

All of a sudden, he felt a breeze blow through one side of his clothes. Knowing that there is someone trying to attack him, Ichimaru turned around and blocked it with his sword. It is when he realized who he is crossing blades with.

"My my, after not seeing one another in such a long time, this is how you greet me, Queen Higashi Kyoko?"

"Ichimaru Gin, you used to be Aizen's right hand man," she said. "However, that all stopped when you betrayed him. Why do you side with that undeserving princess and that Rukongai commoner?"

"For your information, your Majesty, I used to be one of those _Rukongai commoners_," Ichimaru replied. "Furthermore, I have no intentions of joining Aizen in the first place. Instead, I intended to kill him."

She raised an eyebrow. "Kill him?"

* * *

_Twelve year old Gin is walking back to his house with a bag filled with his favourite preserved fruit he purchased at the local market. He grabbed a handful of the dried fruit and tossed it into his mouth to eat. "Mm, I knew it; that is the best place where to get the most delicious dried permissions in town." _

_All of a sudden, he heard a distance voice. "I told you guys to apologize! Don't you know it's polite to say sorry when you accidentally bump into someone?"_

_Recognizing the voice is his childhood friend, Ichimaru hurried through the streets. He soon found the eleven year old Rangiku in the forest, surrounded a group of older men dressed in black kimonos. "Those guys," he thought, "what are they doing all the way out here in Rukongai?" _

_"Huh?" one of the guards asked. "Don't you know who we are?"_

_"I don't care!" Matsumoto snapped. "All I know is that you're a bunch of meanies! You spilled all the water I collected from the well!" _

_Ignoring the strawberry orange haired girl, they began walking away. Feeling upset, she ran up to one of them and kicked him in the shin. As a result, the Royal Guard jumped and cringed in pain. "You bitch; you're going to pay for this!" _

_Without any warning, the other guard punched the young female. Rangiku let out a yell before being tossed aside. The other guard walked up to her and said, "This is what happens when you're messing with Royal Guards from the Hinamori Palace."_

_However, she won't let them get away with it. Matsumoto slowly got back on her feet again and stared at them in the eye. With her hand turned into a fist, she tried to throw a punch at the guard's face. Unfortunately, he anticipated the move and caught it with his bare hand. At first she gasped, but she concentrated and threw her other. Despite that, her efforts were deemed worthless. _

_"How amusing; I love spunky girls like you." _

_"Sorry, but you're not my type." _

_All of a sudden, she took hold of his wrists. Using them as support, she did a midair back flip after kicking him in the face. The guard winced, took a few steps back, and covered his nose with his hands. A few moments later, he held them out only to find out that he's bleeding. Looking up at the serious eleven year old Rukongai citizen, he hissed between his teeth. Leaving no other choice, he removed his sword from his sheath. He raised his weapon above his head and charged at the girl. "You're dead!" _

_Suddenly consumed by fear in her body, Rangiku gasped, shut her eyes tightly, and raised her arms up, defending herself. Just as he is about to strike down on her, another person joined the fight by ramming the guard to the side. Moments later, she opened her eyes only to find her friend has come to her rescue. "G-Gin..."_

_"Who is this kid?" the first guard asked. _

_"I don't know, but he's defending the girl," the other replied. _

_With his wooden sword in his possession, Ichimaru got into battle stance and raised his sword out to them. They suddenly burst out with laughter. "Aw, look at that! The kid is trying to be like us. How cute..."_

_"Let's see what he's made of." _

_"Gin, you're no match against them," Rangiku warned. "They're using real swords!"_

_However, Ichimaru ignored her words. All he cared about is taking revenge on them. His opponents standing in front of them are responsible for causing his childhood friend pain. He charged at them. He tried to swing his wooden sword at them, but they easily evaded. In retaliation, one of the guards punched him in the gut. Gin winced, dropped his sword, and clutched his stomach. Before long, he was punched down to the ground. They started kicking him. "You're still far from being on our level."_

_"Get lost and run to your mommy."_

_Noticing that he is in trouble, Matsumoto came to his aid. "Hey, leave him alone!" _

_They stopped and looked over their shoulder. Seeing the strawberry orange haired girl coming after them, they turned around and got ready. Just as she is about to throw a fist at them, one of them grabbed the front of her yukata and lifted her up into the air. When Ichimaru came to himself, he saw what happened next. They threw her at the tree trunk and saw her lose conscious once she made contact with it. "That should take care of her." _

_Angered by what happened to his friend, Ichimaru stuck his leg out and tripped the two guards. As they kneel down to the ground, Gin used this opportunity to steal one of their swords. Changing the grip on the hilt, he planted the blade into one of their feet. The second guard let out a yell. "You bastard!" _

_The gray haired boy threw a fist in his face. Shortly after, he threw another one. _

_As Gin continued to knock the daylights out of the guard, the first guard recovered and grabbed the boy by the back collar of his yukata. Without any warning, he punched the Rukongai citizen in the gut causing him to wince in pain. With his immense strength, he threw him into the bushes. "That brat was annoying..." _

_"No kidding." The second guard removed his sword from his foot before letting out a yell. "Shit, when I find him, I'm going to kill him!" _

_"Kill who?" asked a voice. _

_Meanwhile, Ichimaru was about to get back into the fight before he stopped and hid himself. Another person has arrived. He had brown hair and eyes and is wearing a black kimono with a white haori worn over it. "It's Captain Aizen Sosuke!" the guards exclaimed. _

_"Hn, it seems like you have gotten yourselves involved in a fight..." He looked over and noticed the strawberry orange haired girl, who has recently regained consciousness, slowly getting up from the ground. "...with Rukongai citizens." _

_"T-There's a good explanation for that, sir!" the second guard said. _

_"Yes sir," said the first subordinate. "That girl started picking a fight with us. So, we defended ourselves!"_

_Sosuke walked past them and up to Matsumoto. The pale blue eyed girl looked up to see the captain of the Royal Guard. He extended a hand out to her, asking, "Are you alright, little one?" _

_She slowly nodded with agreement and took his hand. After hoisting her back on her feet, the strawberry orange haired girl said, "Thank you." _

_He let out a genuine smile. "It's no problem." _

_Ichimaru let out a soft smile, glad that not all Royal Guards from the Hinamori Palace are mean people. Just as he was about to come out of his hiding spot, something unexpected happened. That not so nice man suddenly stabbed her in the stomach with his sword. Mercilessly, removing his sword from her body, he watched her lose conscious and fall down to the dirty ground. As her blood came pooling out of her, the Royal Guard captain put his sword back into its sheath and toward his followers._

_"Now that, my dear subordinates, is how you deal with rebelling Rukongai citizens."_

_"Y-Yes sir!" they exclaimed. _

_Before long, the three Royal Guard members left the injured citizen behind unnoticed. Moments later, Ichimaru came out of the bushes and rushed to his friend's side. Judging by how serious the wound is, he knew he had to seek for help right away. However, thoughts about the culprits responsible for her injury came into mind. One of Gin's hands clutch tightly into a fist. He looked to the side where the three older men left. Written all over his face is the expressions of seriousness and resolve. "So he's Captain Aizen Sosuke of the Royal Guard, huh? I'll be sure to remember that name."_

* * *

"Even if I tried to explain it, you wouldn't understand," Ichimaru said.

"In that case, you're just going to pay the price along with everyone else!" Queen Kyoko exclaimed.

The two fighters pushed each other away before their swords clashed together once more. Just as they began to exchange sword swings at one another, Kyoko sensed danger and quickly backed away from the Royal Guard Captain. Looking down on the ground, she saw several acupuncture needles. Noticing them as well, Gin turned around to find the person responsible for the attack. "Now, this is something I never expected."

The Queen raised her head and soon narrowed her eyes. Another key participant has made it to the battlefield.

"Ume, how dare you attack your mother like that?"

* * *

**References**

_**Daijobou** _- It's Alright, _**Hime**_ - Princess, _**Sugoi -**_ Amazing, _**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Hai**_ - Yes, _**Haori**_ - Kimono Jacket, _**Yukata**_ - A casual kimono

* * *

**Author's Note:** Gah, everything is getting intense! What is going to happen next? Well, stay tuned for the next update. In the meantime, please review while I go back to finishing my updates for today and typing up my next fan fiction update on December 20th. (_Hm, I wonder why? xD_) Thanks!


	21. The Perfect Timing

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note****:** Well, this is probably my last update for the year 2010 unless I manage to complete my next theme from The 100 HitsuHina Themes Challenge before the new year. But anyway, we'll see how things go. Special thanks goes to my wonderful reviewers: **tlg, anime16, becomeafan, KnowledgeandImagination, applestoapples, Smi3h **_aka_ **k a y - t h i, icyangel27, athfdrizzle, satomika** and everyone else for being so patient with me. Here is chapter twenty-one. Enjoy!

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking."_  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Twenty-One:** The Perfect Timing

"Mother, stop this war at once!" Princess Higashi Ume exclaimed. "There is no point starting a fight against Momo-chan's kingdom."

"You're wrong, Ume. There is a point to starting a fight against the Hinamori kingdom," Queen Kyoko said. With the tip of her blade pointing at her, she said, "My loyal guards kill her along with the others!"

"But your Majesty, she's your daughter!" one of the guards said.

"I don't care if she's my flesh and blood! She has disobeyed my orders! Kill her!"

They were hesitant, at first. But once a few individuals went along with the Queen's orders, the others soon followed. As the guards are about to attack her, who is riding on the horse, Ichimaru stood between them. With his sword held up toward his face, he is ready to defend the Princess of the Higashi Region. Alone, he fought against them. "Ichimaru-taicho..."

"My my princess, what did you do to get your mother mad?" Gin asked.

Shortly after striking them down, the agonizing screams were heard from the fallen guards. Ume lowered her head and quietly replied, "I helped Momo-chan to save Hitsugaya-taicho."

"Hn, really now?"

"Hai."

The Royal Guard captain cut down another guard by swinging his sword at his opponent twice. After some blood splattered all over his face, he let out a wide grin. "In that case, it won't be long before they come and join the party."

"What? They're going to fight in this war?"

"Of course, what do you expect from a princess, who refuses to become the damsel in distress, and a commoner, who has a lot to prove to the Seireitei people his worth to become the next ruler of the kingdom?"

Soon, Ume let out a defeated sigh. "I suppose you're right about that."

"What's wrong? Are you worried about them?"

"It's just that...Hitsugaya-taicho has a fairly serious injury. He needs medical attention."

"If it's only about his health, then it's alright," Ichimaru explained. "Hitsugaya-kun is way too stubborn to sit around and complain about his injuries when he could do better things like stopping this war from continuing."

Noticing a group of guards getting ready to fire arrows at them, Gin quickly jumped on the horse behind Ume and took hold of the reigns. Surprised by his actions, Ume asked, "W-What are you doing?"

He pulled the reigns and commanded the four legged animal to turn around. "Hold on tight, Higashi-hime; we're going to be in one hell of a ride!"

With that said, they rode into the crowd of Higashi guards. As the guards in the distance, ceased fire, the other guards tried to injure the horse and its riders with their weapons on hand. However, their opponents kept kicking and striking them down before they made any contact. "What are you lazy asses doing?" Queen Kyoko yelled out. "Take them down!"

"Yes ma'am!"

As Abarai cut down, punch, and kick his opponents down, he heard a neigh. Turning his body to the side, he saw a horse coming in his direction. After taking a closer look, he saw Gin and Princess Ume riding on it. The red headed knight threw a fist at an attacking guard before running up to them. "Ichimaru-taicho!"

"Yo Renji, it looks like you're doing well dealing with all the Higashi guards."

"Yeah, but they're a pain in the ass," he replied before elbowing another guard in the gut and watch him fall down on the ground. "They're just too many of them!"

"Well then, it's time to initiate Plan B."

Ume raised an eyebrow and asked, "What is Plan B?"

"Retreat and Regroup."

"Huh?"

A grin appeared on the gray haired captain's face. "Just go with the flow and you'll find out what the plan is all about."

"Um, okay then..."

"Let's go and find the others, Renji," Ichimaru said.

"Yes sir!" he replied.

* * *

Matsumoto threw a smoke bomb as far as she could. As a result, a few Higashi guards got caught in the smokescreen, coughing furiously. With her sword raised, she charged into the group to take them down all at once. Only agonizing screams of her fallen opponents can be heard. At the same time, Hisagi cut down his opponents down with his punches, kicks, and swings of his sword. "This is getting too old," Rangiku commented.

"Ichimaru-taicho better change his battle tactics before we all get tired and get overwhelmed by these persistent guys," Shuhei said.

Matsumoto hip bumped one of the Higashi guards to the ground. "No kidding!"

All of a sudden, they heard a loud neigh. When they turned their heads to the side, they saw Renji, Gin, and Princess Ume coming in their direction. "Eh, why is the Princess of the Higashi Region with them?"

"Well, we're going to find out in a few moments."

"Yo Ran-chan, Shuhei, Ichimaru greeted. "It's time to pull back and regroup."

"Okay, but why is Princess Ume with you?"

"Don't worry; she's on our side, isn't that right Renji?"

The red headed teenager nodded with agreement. "Apparently, she betrayed her mother."

"I-I see," Hisagi said.

"Enough with all that stuff, it's time to head back," the Royal Guard Captain replied. "I have a good feeling that the tide is going to change in a few moments."

His subordinates all nodded with agreement. "Yes sir."

With that said, everyone retreated back and joined Kira and his army. "Ichimaru-taicho," Izuru said. "Is everything alright?"

"Don't worry; everyone's fine," Gin replied. "It's time to change tactics and retaliate."

"Everyone, cease fire!" a voice suddenly exclaimed.

In response to the loud voice, heads turned to where it is coming from. Judging by the looks of things, Queen Higashi is the one who called out to them. "What does she want?" Rangiku asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"Who knows, it could be anything," Renji commented.

Noticing something, Kira squint his eyes to get a better look. When he confirmed it, he turned to his allies and asked, "Hey you guys, isn't that Nagara Koji over there by the Queen's side?"

First, they looked at the pale blond haired Trio Knight before turning their attention to where the Queen of the Higashi Region is standing. A guard handed Ichimaru a telescope so that he can take a closer look. He then passed it to the young princess for her to see. When she saw what they did, she let out a gasp and turned to them. "It really is him! That means that he managed to ki-"

"Now, don't go around saying that without any supporting evidence," Ichimaru interrupted.

"There is no way I'm going to believe that Hitsugaya and Hinamori are both dead!" Matsumoto continued. "Their wills to live are more stubborn than a parrot repeating whatever we say!"

"However, we have to consider the worse possible scenario!" Ume replied. "What if they don't survive?"

There was a short pause before Hisagi suddenly said, "We're just going to have to finish what they started. The least they want for us to do is bring peace and harmony back to Seireitei and Rukongai."

Rangiku then cracked a smile. "Yeah, I can totally imagine the both of them saying that. They love and care for their people."

"Give up Royal Guard of Seireitei!" Queen Higashi exclaimed.

"We'll never give up and hand over our precious land to you!" Matsumoto exclaimed.

"You might want to reconsider," Koji said as he commanded his horse to walk a few steps ahead of his majesty. "Hitsugaya-taicho and Hinamori-hime won't be joining this battle. They have went down along with the burnt Higashi Castle."

"No way," Ume said.

The others made serious faces. Ichimaru told his horse to step forward. He called out, "Sorry Nagara, but I don't believe your nonsense."

"That's right!" Rangiku agreed. "With Hitsugaya around, there is no way he's going to allow his princess nor himself to die. It's his sole duty to protect her and defend his people!"

Then, she raised her sword up high.

"LONG LIVE HITSUGAYA-TAICHO AND HINAMORI-HIME, THE FUTURE KING AND QUEEN OF SEIREITEI AND RUKONGAI!"

People around her thought she is acting crazy, standing out in the crowd like that. However, it didn't take long before others began to follow her lead. Eventually, everyone started chanting together. "LONG LIVE HITSUGAYA-TAICHO AND HINAMORI-HIME, THE FUTURE KING AND QUEEN OF SEIREITEI AND RUKONGAI! LONG LIVE HITSUGAYA-TAICHO AND HINAMORI-HIME, THE FUTURE KING AND QUEEN OF SEIREITEI AND RUKONGAI! LONG LIVE HITSUGAYA-TAICHO AND HINAMORI-HIME, THE FUTURE KING AND QUEEN OF SEIREITEI AND RUKONGAI!"

"There goes being nice," Nagara commented.

"Well, we warned them," Kyoko replied. "Now, they must suffer."

"Yes ma'am." After drawing his sword out from his sheath, he called out to the Royal Guard, "You all have just lost your chance of escaping. Now, prepare for this bloody battle!"

"OH WE'RE ALL READY FOR THIS BLOODY BATTLE," said a voice.

Heads turned to the hillside before gasps filled the battlefield. People began whispering to their allies. Standing on top are three horses and their riders; they were none other than Kyoraku Shunsui, Ukitake Jushiro, Princess Hinamori Momo, and Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro. "NOW THAT THE KEY PLAYERS ARE FINALLY HERE," the Princess of Seireitei exclaimed, "IT'S TIME FOR THE REAL FIGHT TO BEGIN!"

The Trio Knights, Captain Ichimaru, and Matsumoto let out content smirks. "Well, they sure took their sweet time getting here," Rangiku said.

"You said it," Abarai replied.

On the other hand, Princess Higashi Ume let out a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness they're alright."

"See? What did I tell you?" Gin asked. "Have a little more faith in them."

She let out a soft smile. "You all really trust each other."

The gray haired captain let out a grin. "We more or less trust each other, even though it doesn't look like it."

Hitsugaya and Hinamori drew their swords out and raised them into the air. He exclaimed, "ROYAL GUARD OF SEIREITEI! IT'S TIME FOR US TO SHOW WHAT WE'RE REALLY MADE OF!"

It wasn't before long shouts and screams echoed throughout the battlefield. With a single kick on the horse's sides, Toshiro and Momo were the first to charge into battle. They were soon followed by their allies, Kyoraku and Ukitake.

On the other side, Ichimaru raised his sword and commanded, "Everyone, it's time for Plan B to initiate!"

"Yes sir!" his subordinates exclaimed.

"CHARGE!"

* * *

**References**

_**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Hai**_ - Yes, _**Hime **_- Princess

* * *

**Author's Note:** Now that everyone is in the battlefield, it's time for me to work on my creative battle scenes. What is going to happen next? Well, stay tuned for chapter twenty-two of The Next Greatest Treasure. In the meantime, please review! Thanks.


	22. Respected Face Offs

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note****: **It's about time for an update! Special thanks goes to my wonderful reviewers: **KnowledgeandImagination, tlg, satomika, HyourinmaruIce **_(x2)_**, applestoapples, becomeafan, anime16, MoonLightView, Yellow. Sunshineeh **_aka_ **Yellow. Sunshin3h, sakurarules233, superattackpea, athfdrizzle,** **fdgvdstrt **_(x2)_, and **bengara-koushi**. Thank you to you all and everyone else who have been so patient with me over these past couple of weeks. Without any further delay, here is chapter twenty-two. Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking."_ "Thinking."  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Twenty-Two:** Respected Face-Offs

As the war at the boarder progressed, the number of casualties started to increase on both sides. A Royal Guard member let out an agonizing scream as he fell to the ground, clutching the injury on his side. Just as he is about to be cut down, Ichimaru and Princess Higashi, who are riding on a horse, came to the rescue and joined the party. "For those of you who are still able to move, some of you carry the injured to Unohana-san and the medical team!" Gin commanded.

"Yes sir!"

"Hold on tight princess."

With a flick of his reigns, the horse ran across the field, deep into enemy territory. As the captain's attention is on the Queen's loyal servant, the princess's eyes is on her mother. "Ichimaru-taicho, allow me to take care of the Queen," Ume said.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Very well then; do what you want."

He suddenly pulled on the reigns, commanding his horse to run faster towards Nagara Koji. Just as he is about to collide with the swordsman, Ichimaru jumped off his horse. While she is surprised by his actions, Ume struggled to keep things under control. She took hold of the reigns and pulled on it. In response, the horse changed direction and moved to the left. She glanced over her shoulder and watched the gray haired Royal Guard Captain clash blades with his opponent. _"I wish you the best of luck, Ichimaru-taicho."_

Noticing the Princess of the Higashi Region is planning to cross blades with her mother from a distance; Hinamori resumed her attention to Hitsugaya and said, "Toshiro, I'm going to help Ume."

Looking over his shoulder, he read the determined expression on the young princess's face. Soon, he gave her the nod of approval. He turned his attention to Shunsui and Jushiro. "Help me keep a close eye on her."

"Hai Hitsugaya," Ukitake replied.

"You got it," Kyoraku said.

With a nod, he turned to Momo and offered her. "Take the reigns; I'll get off from here."

"Alright then, be careful," she said.

With a short kiss on the lips, the white haired captain jumped on the horse and landed on the ground. Immediately, he is surrounded by many guards from the Higashi Region. He got into battle stance and patiently waited for one of them to make the first move. "You're dead!"

Hitsugaya place his sword diagonally on his back so that he can block the attack. Noticing others have come out, he quickly overpowered his first opponent with his strength before changing the grip on his weapon and start parrying the other attacks. With no time to waste, Hitsugaya put on his mouth mask on and pulled out a small dark sphere. He threw it on the ground. Once it made contact, a mysterious gas is expelled into the air. All of a sudden, the guards took a few steps back and shut their eyes. At the same time, their arms are covering their noses and mouth. They all started to cough. One of them asked, "What the hell is this gas?"

"S-Shit, he used tear gas on us."

Using the hilt of his blade and the power of his elbows and kicks, Toshiro began knocking his opponents out. From the corner of his eye, he noticed one particular guard holding his sword above his head and charging at him. Just as he swung his sword downwards, Hitsugaya evaded to the side and elbowed him in the back. As he is trying to regain his balance, the notorious thief of Rukongai arm hooked to his opponent's arms. Using it as support, Captain Hitsugaya leaned on his back so that both his legs are free. He kicked two guards that were trying to cut him down before doing a back roll on his first opponent. After landing on his feet safely, the young Royal Guard Captain swung his sword out, creating some distance in between.

At that moment, acupuncture needles were thrown in his direction. While the guards retreated, Hitsugaya swing his sword from side to side, knocking the small deadly weapons out of the way. From a nearby distance, he noticed Ichimaru is facing off against Koji. When he resumed his attention to the Higashi guards, they were all charging at him. Just as he is about to make his move, several people stepped in front and interfered with the battle. They were Rangiku and the Trio Knights. "Leave them to us Hitsugaya," the female swordsman said, blocking of their attacks with her sword. "You help Gin deal with Nagara."

"Hurry up and get going," Renji said, pushing a guard away after overpowering him.

"Abarai-kun's right," Kira agreed, knocking one down using the hilt of his sword. "In order to get recognition from the Seireitei people, you have to be the one who will defeat the Queen and her loyal servant."

He soon nodded with agreement. "Alright then, I'll leave things to you."

With that said, the young princess's fiance left the job of defeating the army his loyal and faithful allies. "Well, if we want him to succeed the throne as Rukongai's and Seireitei's ruler, we have to do our part," Matsumoto said.

"Yes, we must not let him down," Hisagi agreed as he is cutting down his opponent with his sword, "even if we have to lose our lives for his victory."

"That's right!"

* * *

The Queen of the Higashi Region is fighting against a group of Royal Guards where she heard the sound of a neighing horse. By the time she turned her body to the side, her princess daughter jumped off her running horse and clashed blades with her mother. Kyoko's eyes narrowed at her. "Ume..."

"I will defeat you and stop this war from happening any longer," she said.

"We'll see about that."

With that said, the mother and daughter began exchanging sword swings with one another. They tried to cut one another at different angles. However, they managed to anticipate each other's moves and dodge them. "Even if you're able to win this battle, you will have no place to go back to."

"It's fine with me," Ume said before swinging her sword downwards.

At that moment, the Queen parried against her attack and pushed her aside. Just as she is regaining her balance, Kyoko raised her sword up into the air. While she tried to cut her blood relative down, she realized she couldn't move. As a matter of fact, her arm is held back by a string of rope and a single kunai which is tied at one end. She turned her head to the side and noticed the culprit is none other than the Princess of Seireitei. "Hinamori Momo..."

"I won't let you hurt Ume," she said, pulling on the other end of the rope to prevent her aunt from causing any harm to her cousin.

_"Momo-chan..."_ Princess Higashi thought.

"Do you really think you have what it takes to defeat me?" Queen Kyoko asked.

"No, I don't think I have a chance at defeating you," Momo answered. "However, with Ume's help, I'm sure we can."

"Don't get too cocky!" she exclaimed. She then grabbed onto the rope and began pulling back. The princess and the Queen are caught in a battle of arm strength where their power are evenly matched with one another. "Give up!"

"Never!"

With a loud yell, Princess Higashi swung her sword in between her mother and cousin and cut the rope. Immediately, the sides were pulled back. While the Queen regains her balance, Momo used the opportunity to do a backwards hand stand on the horse's back. Using her arm power, she jumped off her ride and landed on the ground safely on her two feet. She took a moment to get into her fighting pose. At the same time, Ume took a step back and raised her sword out in front. After a moment of silence, the three fighters charged at one another, starting another showdown.

Momo's sword is the first to make contact with Kyoko's before the two females began their round of sword swings, leaving Ume to plan out the next attack. Once she noticed an opening, she joined the battle. However, the Queen anticipated the move and evaded to the side. She began attacking her. After carefully reading her movements, Ume narrowly dodged her assault.

Knowing that this battle is not in her favour, the Queen drew out a short sword from the sheath on her left side. After temporarily ceasing her attack, she let out a grin for the girls to see. "I suggest you two to be extra careful from now on."

The two princesses made frustrated looks on their faces. Hinamori asked, "Is that what I think it is?"

Higashi nodded. "Yes, that sword's blade is covered with poison."

* * *

Blades continued to clash against one another as Gin and Koji tried to dominate one another in their battle of sword skills and technique. The two finally stopped when they are caught in a tight deadlock. "Just as expected of Seireitei's Royal Guard Captain, you're one formidable opponent," Nagara commented.

"Thank you, but flattery doesn't get you anywhere," Ichimaru replied with a grin. "I will make sure you drown in your pool of blood on the ground once our battle is over."

"My my, are you still bitter about that time? Do you remember; it is back then when you assumed that I tried to kill your friend with poisonous acupuncture needles?"

Suddenly, Gin's face changed expressions into one of a serious type. Noticing him, Koji let out a grin.

"What's wrong, Ichimaru? Did I just pushed your butto-"

Without any warning, the gray haired teenager swung his sword across his left arm, managing to cut him successfully. At that moment, blood came gushing out, causing the black haired loyal servant to wince in pain. He placed his hand over his injury and glared at the older teenager. "Sorry Nagara-kun, my hand just slipped. What did you just say a while ago?"

His eyes narrowed. "You bastard..."

"Anyway, shall we continue this fight or you're going to run away with your tail in between your legs?"

Nagara took a moment to stop the blood flow leaking on his arm by tearing one side of his sleeve and using it as a bandage. Once he is done, he assumed battle position. "What do you think?"

Ichimaru grinned. "Good decision; now, let's continue this fight."

All of a sudden, a small shower of shurikens is thrown in their direction. While Koji evaded the surprise assault, Gin stood still and waited. He knows that the attack is not meant to aim at him. Once the attack ceased, they got to see the culprit responsible for throw all those shurikens.

"It is just as I expected; your aiming is as sharp as ever, Hitsugaya-kun."

"I should say the same thing about you," Toshiro replied while resting his sword on one side of his shoulder. "You sure have a lot of confidence thinking that I wasn't going to aim at you, Ichimaru."

"I have that much confidence because I know what you're thinking in situations like this."

The white haired captain just hissed between his teeth before focusing his attention to the black haired servant of the Queen. He held his sword out and got into battle position. "You're dealing with the both of us now, Nagara."

In response to his words, Koji let out a smirk. Quickly, he drew out several acupuncture needles and held them between his fingers while his other hand is holding his sword. "I can't wait to cut you both down."

Gin assumed battle position. He said, "My my, didn't your folks ever tell you to not carry dangerous weapons?"

"Sorry Ichimaru, but I'm afraid they didn't."

"Now that's unfortunate; I guess I have to teach you a few things about that."

"Bring it on."

The two battlers charged at one another with fierce yells. Before long, their blades clashed into one another which soon followed by a series of swings at different angles. While the Queen's loyal servant is busy with the older captain, Hitsugaya carefully watched Nagara's movements. After predicting his next movements, Toshiro interfered with the showdown by throwing his ranged weapons at different places.

Noticing the young captain's attack, Gin narrowly evaded the attacks and caught one of the shurikens with his bare hand. Immediately, he threw it towards Koji's face. As he is dodging Hitsugaya's assaults, he noticed Gin's attack coming right at him. Though he successfully evaded it, he still got injured. A cut appeared on the side of his cheek, causing some blood to drip down.

As Toshiro stood next to Gin's side, they watched Nagara wiped the blood out with his wrist. Quickly, he threw his ranged weapons towards them. Calmly, the two captains of the Royal Guard knocked them away using their swords. At that moment, Koji charged at the two swordsmen and started a spree of sword swings. "There is no point in continuing this battle," Hitsugaya said. "Admit defeat and surrender to us!"

"There is no way I'm going to do that!" Nagara exclaimed. "I'm not allowing you brats of the lower-class defeat me, a high-class man of great prestige and intelligence!"

"Prestige and intelligence?" Ichimaru asked. "I think those titles of yours have led you astray."

"Shut up!" Just as he swung his sword at them, Hitsugaya quickly parried against the attack. Using this opportunity, Gin elbowed him in the gut. Immediately, Koji winced in pain, clutched his stomach, and took a few steps back. After struggling to look up at them, he said, "I...won't be...defeated."

"Because we are Rukongai brats, we understand what it feels like to live under harsh conditions which are governed by the upper class. We are not corrupted like most of you are."

Nagara bit the bottom of his lip and growled at Hitsugaya and Ichimaru.

All of a sudden, they heard a scream. Immediately, heads turned to where the voice is coming from only to find out that one of their allies have been taken down. "Yare yare, that's not a good sign."

Using this moment of vulnerability, Koji charged at the two captains. Just as he is about to stab one of them, the other swordsman blocked the attack with his sword. As they are fighting for dominance, Hitsugaya took a quick glance to see what is happening on the side. _"Damn it, Queen Higashi managed to cut Princess Higashi down,"_ he thought. _"Kyoraku and Ukitake can't assist them because they are keeping the guards from interfering with the battle. It is only a matter of time before Momo is cut down too." _

With a vertical swing of his sword, Ichimaru broke the deadlock and separated the two swordsmen. Then, he swung his sword to the side, trying to cut Koji. He immediately blocked the attack with his sword. "Hitsugaya-kun, you go help Hinamori-chan."

After one look at the gray haired captain, he nodded with agreement. He quickly retreated and ran to assist his girlfriend.

"Now that we're alone again, let's continue this battle," Gin said.

Koji grinned. "Yes, I feel the same way."

Without any warning, he threw some dirt into his eyes, causing the older teenager to take a few steps back. While he is recovering, Nagara kicked him in the gut and backed him against a tree. Just as he is about to cut him down, his blade soon made contact with something else. When his vision cleared up, Ichimaru realized that his childhood friend just saved him. "Ran-chan..."

"Are you alright, Gin?" she asked, trying to keep the Queen's servant from making his attack successful.

He grinned. "What do you think?"

"So, you're alive," Nagara said.

"Yes, you're going to pay for trying to kill me with your poisonous needle weapons," Matsumoto replied.

"We'll see about that."

* * *

"Ume!" Hinamori exclaimed, calling out to the injured princess, who just got stabbed in the abdomen. "Are you alright?"

Sensing that an attack is coming at her, she resumed her attention to the front and blocked it with her sword. "In no time, you will suffer the same faith as her," Kyoko said.

"I'm not going to let that happen!"

All of a sudden, the Queen swung her short sword toward Momo's stomach. Aware of the dangers of being cut by it, Hinamori took a step back and evaded the attack. However, the Higashi Region's ruler won't let her get away. Kyoko dash forward, closing the distance between them. She changed the grip on her poisonous sword and swung it towards the princess's face. However, the peach girl managed to dodge it by ducking down. Unfortunately, she isn't able to evade her next move. Kyoko changed the grip on her other sword and elbowed her in the gut.

As Momo is gasping for air, Kyoko prepared the finishing move on the Princess of Seireitei. Just as she is about to cut her down, Hitsugaya jumped over Hinamori and kicked his opponent's sword back, knocking her off balance. Once she regained her footing, she raised her head and saw the white haired teenager with his sword held out in front of him and his princess. Her eyes narrowed dangerously at him. "Hitsugaya Toshiro..."

"Toshiro..." Hinamori said.

"Are you alright, Momo?" he asked.

"I think so."

"Good; now, let's defeat her...together."

She then nodded with agreement and got into battle position, prepared for the final showdown. "Hai."

* * *

**References**

_**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Hai**_ - Yes**  
**

* * *

**Author's Note:** Holy snappers, things are getting very tense! What is going to happen next? Well, you know what to do: please review! There's only three chapters to go before this story is finished! Thanks.


	23. Game Over

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note****: **I'm back with today's update of The Next Greatest Treasure. Yay! Special thanks goes to my reviewers: **icyangel27, Yellow. Sunshineeh, HyourinmaruIce, satomika, KnowledgeandImagination, becomeafan, applestoapples, anime16, tlg, **and **superattackpea** for all your constant support! The war is at its peak! What is going to happen next? Well, read and find out what happens in chapter twenty-three! Enjoy!

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking."_ "Thinking."  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Twenty-Three:** Game Over

Blades are clashing against one another as Rangiku and Koji compete for dominance. At the same time, Captain Ichimaru is carefully watching the battle unfold in front of his eyes. All of a sudden, he turned his head to the side to see several Higashi guards trying to cut him down. A grin appeared on his face. "You guys need to work on your ambushing skills."

With several swift swings of his sword, Gin ran past and incapacitated each and every one of them. As they fell to the ground, he flicked his sword off to the side. His opponents' blood that was on his blade ended up splattering all over the place. He then changed the grip on the hilt of his blade and intercepted the one-on-one battle. He clashed his sword against Nagara's and Matsumoto's. For a brief moment, the three swordsmen stared at one another. Then, a series of sword exchanges began.

The Queen's loyal servant grinds his teeth together before taking a few steps back. Because he is outnumbered, he is losing the battle. Just as Rangiku is about to strike him, Koji collided into the woman and forced her back with a fierce push. During her moment of vulnerability, he tried to stab his poisonous needles into her gut. However, Ichimaru did a roundhouse kick to his hand. As a result, Nagara loses his grip on the acupuncture needles and were tossed aside.

When he resumed his attention to the gray haired captain, he noticed his opponent has his sword high up above his head. Anticipating where he is going to be striking, he quickly bent down, stuck a foot out, and hit it against Ichimaru's ankle. Feeling off balance, Gin quickly planted his hands on the ground and did a cartwheel to the side. While he got back on his feet, Matsumoto charged in for the attack. "You're finished!"

Just as she is about to stab him in the abdomen, Koji did a body twist with a single foot. During the process, he took out three poisonous needles from under his sash and threw it towards her. Aware of the dangers of being hit by it, Rangiku evaded the attacks by moving to the side. She retaliated by attacking from a different angle. However, she did not anticipate loyal servant's next moves.

With a swing of his sword, he opened a wound on her left arm. As the woman winced in pain, the jet black haired swordsman took out another set of acupuncture needles. Taking aim at her, he threw them. Just when he thought it is going to make contact with her, Gin stepped in and knocked the needles off to the sides with a few swings of his sword. Nagara frowned at the former Rukongai citizen. Then, he commented, "You're very annoying, Captain Ichimaru."

In response, he grinned and raised his sword up with a single hand. "I'm very aware of that."

After a brief moment of silence, the two swordsmen charged in and made their moves at the same time. As a result, their blades clashed against one another once, twice and a couple more times. Thinking that his opponent has gotten used to his fighting pace, Ichimaru decided to kick things up a notch. He suddenly stepped back and watched Nagara miss. With quick use of his feet, he turned his body off to the side and managed to cut a major vein.

All of a sudden, Koji dropped his sword on the ground before his right arm hanged limb on his side. He let out a hiss and glared at Gin. "You bastard..."

"It is over," Ichimaru said. "You're not able to fight anymore."

However, he begged to differ. The Queen's loyal servant took out another set of four poisonous needles and held it towards the side of his face. "I won't let this fight end. Long live Queen Higashi!"

The Royal Guard Captain assumed battle position. "You're one sad servant, you know that?"

He then let out a defeated sigh.

"I guess I have no other choice, but to personally end your miseries."

The captain's words ticked him off. "Shut up!"

Just as he is about to throw his acupuncture needles, Ichimaru dash in front and swung his sword. Instinctively, he took a step to the side, avoiding the strike. Despite the change of movements, Gin still managed to stay close. He swung his sword again, forcing Nagara to take another few steps back. At that moment, Koji lost his footing and fell backwards to the ground. When he let out a hiss and looked up at the Royal Guard Captain, he noticed something. Gin has shown a innocent-like look on his face.

Wondering what he is looking at, he looked down to see his side. Suddenly, his eyes widened. For some reason, one of his acupuncture needles, which were tossed aside, ended up piercing through his clothes and into his skin. A few seconds later, his body began showing symptoms of the deadly poison. The bags under his eyes, his lips, and his finger nails started to turn purple while his skin turned pale. "D-Damn...it..."

Eventually, he lost consciousness and fell to the ground like a rag doll.

There is a brief moment of silence before Matsumoto walked to Ichimaru's side and look down at the deceased servant of the Queen. "That is one sad way to die during a battle," she said. "He got killed by his own weapon."

"Yes, but he deserved it," Gin replied. "Besides, I warned him before not to carry dangerous weapons like that."

Rangiku placed a hand over her injury and let out a minor hiss.

"Are you going to be alright, Ran-chan?"

"This injury is nothing compared to what we've all been through a long time ago."

He turned his body to the side and suddenly let out a grin. "Really now?"

"Yes."

There is a short pause.

Matsumoto suddenly asked, "Do you think Hitsugaya and Hinamori need our help to defeat Queen Higashi?"

"No, I think they're going to be just fine," Ichimaru replied. "Instead, let's go and help Izuru and the others on handling the Higashi Guards."

She then nodded with agreement. "Hai."

* * *

Momo let out a fierce yell before clashing blades with Queen Kyoko. The princess and the Higashi ruler exchanged sword swings with one another until a third member joined the fight. Hitsugaya forced himself in and horizontally swung his trusty long sword towards Kyoko's stomach. In response to his assault, she took a step back and dodged. When she resumed her attention to the young princess, Momo has already begun her follow up attack. Thinking quickly, she thrust her short sword towards her niece's gut.

Aware that the short sword has poison on it, the thief of Rukongai took hold of his girlfriend's sash. Using all his strength, he pulled her off to the side and away from the deadly weapon. At that moment, Kyoko followed up her assault by piercing her longer sword through the young captain's abdomen. Seeing the horrifying scene in front of her, Momo screamed his name from the top of her lungs. "Toshiro!"

In response to the sudden pain in his gut, Hitsugaya pulled down his mouth mask, arched over, and started coughing out blood._ "Damn it,"_ he cursed before looking up at her in the eyes. _"She managed to cut open my old wound." _

Seeing the determined expression on his face, Kyoko's eyes narrowed. _"His eyes are not dead yet. He is still able to fight." _

All of a sudden, the white haired captain grabbed onto the blade of her sword. After realizing what he is trying to do, she tried pulling it out. However, his strength is too much for her. She is unable to withdraw her sword from his body. He said, "I'm not letting you get away."

Remembering about the Princess of Seireitei, she turned her head to the side only to find out that Momo is on the offense. It left her no other choice, but to abandon her sword. She let go of it, freeing Toshiro from her grasp. With only her poisonous sword at hand, she resumed her fight with the raven haired girl.

In the meantime, Hitsugaya slowly withdrew the pieced sword from his flesh bit by bit. As more time passed by, the more pains and aches he feels. He bit the bottom of his lip, preventing himself from screaming as he continued his work. After a few seconds, Toshiro finally pulled out the Queen's sword and tossed it aside. While he is clutching his arms around his wound, he arched over and gasped for breath. He muttered under his breath, "Shit that hurt..."

Once his breathing is steady, he raised his head up to see Hinamori fighting against Queen Higashi. He let out a hiss.

_"If Momo gets a single cut by that sword, it is game over for her. I have to do something and fast!" _

He checked his surroundings to see what he could use until he spotted some rope on the ground. He rushed over and hastily picked it up. Taking a kunai out from the inside of his kimono, he tied one end of the rope onto the short weapon. Once he is done, he twirled it into the air in a similar fashion as a lasso several times. After taking aim at the blade of the Queen's short sword, he threw it. When his attempt is right on target, he immediate pulled on the rope and forcefully stripped Kyoko of her weapon.

Higashi turned her attention to the white haired teenager and let out a hiss. _"Even in his current state, he is still an annoying brat..." _

Then, without any warning, Hinamori charged in and elbowed her in the gut. After watching her wince in pain and take a few steps back, she did not hesitate to start her chain of attacks. Momo closed the distance between them by stepping in. She then jumped into the air and twisted her body. Riding the momentum, she did a roundhouse kick to her face. As a result, Kyoko is sent flying off to the side. After rolling on the rough ground several times, she finally stopped motionless.

Tired from her recent moves, Hinamori panted. After a few moments, she held onto her sword's hilt with both hands and assumed battle position. She patiently waited for her aunt to get back on her feet. _"Queen Higashi won't give up that easily," _she thought. _"She won't ever stop until both Toshiro and I are killed and permanently out of her life."_

_"Neither of us have the murderous intent to end someone's life," _Hitsugaya thought as he raised his sword out in front. _"How do we defeat someone like her?"_

Once he noticed the Queen's hand twitch, the young captain of the Royal Guard hissed between his teeth.

_"Damn it, there has to be a way to stop her!" _

After a moment of struggle, Kyoko picked up her lost (nonpoisonous) sword and stood up. She let out a few pants before assuming her fighting pose. During this time, Hitsugaya walked to his girlfriend's side. "I...will never die," she said. "Do you hear me?"

"Aunt Kyoko, please give up," Momo said. "There's no point in continuing this fight. Everyone is tired and hurt. The last thing we all want is for our people to suffer."

"I don't care. I want the throne!" she exclaimed. "I am Seireitei and Rukongai's rightful heir to the throne, not you or your white haired fiancé!"

"Damn it, she's pissing me off," Hitsugaya cursed under his breath.

Hearing his comment, Hinamori turned to her boyfriend and said, "Please Toshiro, don't try anything that you're going to regret later."

He bit the bottom of his lip. "I know, but her arrogance isn't helping..."

Taking out a small bag from the inside of her kimono, she threw it at the two lovers. In retaliation, Momo cut it open with her sword. As a result, a cloud of dust is expelled from the bag. Hitsugaya and Hinamori immediately closed their eyes, placed their arms over their faces, and began coughing.

"Shit, I can't see!"

"M-Me neither!" Momo said.

Using their moment of vulnerability, the Queen took hold of her sword and swung it across Momo's back and upper arm. However, her attack didn't cease there. She swung her sword in the other direction and managed to slash across Toshiro's chest and lower arm. In a matter of seconds, they let out painful yells and screams before collapsing on the ground and soak in their mixed blood. As they lay on the rough Earth, they tried to move, but their bodies won't listen. They are left with no place to run or defend themselves with. All they could do is keep eyes on the Queen, waiting to see what she is planning to do next.

She walked up to them and said, "This is game over for the both of you."

Kyoko raised her sword up in the air.

"At least, you two won't be lonely when you die." Hitsugaya and Hinamori let out low growls of frustration. If only they are able to retaliate, they can change the outcome of this fight. "Sayonara Princess Hinamori Momo and Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro."

_"No, we won't let this war like this!" _

After forcing their bodies to do as they say, they countered against Kyoko's attack. Hitsugaya threw a hidden shuriken towards her face. As she evaded the move, Hinamori quickly grabbed the loose rope on the ground and pulled it towards the Queen's feet. Noticing that the attached kunai has roped around her ankle, Momo pulled the rope even harder. She fell down to the ground.

The two lovers slowly sat up and let out pants of exhaustion. Just when they thought she is down for the count, Kyoko stood up again. "Damn it, we barely have any strength left to hold ourselves in battle," Toshiro said.

"You two are very annoying brats," Higashi commented. She glared at them. "This is the last time you two will get in my way! Now, die and rest in peace!"

Just as they prepared to defend with their swords, they saw the Queen take a step forward and suddenly let out a deep gasp. Their eyes widened with surprise. Neither of them expected that a sword would be piercing through her heart from behind. When everyone took a better look, the culprit turned out to be none other than the Princess of the Higashi Region. Momo interrupted the silence, calling out her name. "Ume..."

Queen Kyoko suddenly coughed out blood. She croaked, "H-How...dare you...try to kill...me..."

"Sorry mother," the princess apologized, "but this is for the best..."

She let out a small grin. Just as she is about to say something, the Higashi Region's ruler suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed onto the ground.

There is a moment of silence where no one said a thing. In the meantime, Hinamori is helping her boyfriend get back on his feet; Momo draped his arm over her shoulder and a hand on his waist. With silent nods of agreement from each other, the two lovers slowly approached the lone princess standing in front of her deceased mother. "Ume," Momo said.

"It feels weird," she replied. "I hate her for all the things she has done to me and my people."

When she turned her attention to them, they notice tears coming down her cheeks.

"I should be happy that she's finally gone, but...I'm crying for some reason."

"Aww, Ume..."

Feeling sympathetic, she looked at Toshiro. Knowing what she wanted to do, he gave her a silent nod. He let Momo walk over to her cousin and give her a loving embrace. After her moment of mourning is over, the Princess of the Higashi Region wiped her tears away. Noticing her deceased relative's sword is on the ground; she picked it up by the hilt and then turned to the white haired captain. "Thank you for your help, Captain Hitsugaya."

She then turned to her cousin.

"Same goes to you, Momo-chan."

Hinamori smiled. "It's really nothing; that's what friends and family members do, right?"

Ume smiled back. "I suppose so..."

The two girls suddenly let out a few giggles. She then resumed her attention to her cousin's fiancé. She presented her mother's sword to him.

"Now that my...mother is finally dead, you can tell everyone else that this war is over."

He looked down at the sword and then to her. He asked, "Is it really okay for me and Momo to take the credit?"

She slowly nodded. "I think it would be best things happened this way. Besides, it will definitely help you two when it comes to getting recognition by the upper class."

He let out a defeated sigh. He is left with no other choice, but to accept it. He put away his own sword before taking hold of the Queen's sword and said, "Thank you, Princess Higashi."

"You're welcome, Captain Hitsugaya."

Noticing that his horse is standing nearby, the peach girl walked over and guided the animal to her cousin and boyfriend. With a silent nod of thanks, he got on his horse. Shortly after, Momo put away her sword and got on the horse as well. After giving the sword to his girlfriend, Toshiro took hold of the reigns and commanded his animal companion to run in the direction he desire. Ume watched the two lovers fulfill their final duties before they could rest.

_"Words cannot describe your acts of kindness and bravery. My dear cousin, my future cousin in-law, from the bottom of my heart, thanks for freeing my people...and myself from my mother's control."_

* * *

**References**

_**Hai**_ - Yes, **_Sayonara_ - **Good bye (formal)**  
**

* * *

**Author's Note:** And it's game over for Queen Kyoko and her servant, Koji! The war is finally over! Yay! Find out what happens to everyone in the war's aftermath in my next update! In the meantime, please review! Thanks.


	24. The Aftermath

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note****: **Hey everyone, I'm back with another update! Thank you everyone for being so patient over the past week especially my wonderful reviewers: **tlg, icyangel27, Yellow. Sunshineeh, KnowledgeandImagination, satomika, applestoapples, becomeafan, anime16, HyourinmaruIce, **and **superattackpea**. Now that the war is over, it's time to check up on how everyone is doing. Here is chapter twenty-four of The Next Greatest Treasure! Enjoy!**  
**

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking."_ Flash Back.  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Twenty-Four:** The Aftermath

_Swords swings, fierce yells, and agonizing screams are heard throughout the large battlefield when Toshiro and Momo made it to the top of the highest hill they could find. Then, taking out a black sphere from his pants pocket, he threw it up in the air as high as he could. All of a sudden, the sphere exploded into tiny little fragments. It is enough to get the attention of everyone nearby. "What the hell is that?"_

_"What is going on over there?"_

_"Wait a minute, what are Captain Hitsugaya and Princess Hinamori doing over there?"_

_"Wait, could it be...?"_

_Raising his voice as loud as he could, Toshiro yelled out, "My fellow allies of Rukongai and Seireitei, this war is officially over!"_

_Momo raised her aunt's sword up high for everyone to see._

_"We have won this hard battle!" Hinamori exclaimed. "Queen Higashi Kyoko has been defeated!"_

_In a matter of seconds, the sounds of booming cheers were heard. "Alright Hitsugaya and Hinamori-chan, I knew they would come out victorious!"_

_Shunsui said to his long time friend._

_Ukitake nodded with agreement. "I know, Kyoraku."_

_"Alright Hitsugaya and Hinamori!" Matsumoto cheered while arm hooking around Hisagi's neck. "Now that the war is over, we have to make plans for the wedding!"_

_"Y-Yes Rangiku, b-but organizing that stuff is going to take quite...some time," Shuhei replied while he is seeking oxygen. "Damn it, I-I...can't breathe!"_

_"Thank goodness the war is over," Izuru said. "If this battle were to prolong any longer, things could have turned troublesome for us."_

_"What are you talking about, Kira?" Renji asked. "The war is already over! Now, it's time to celebrate!"_

_"Yay!" everyone exclaimed. "Long live Captain Hitsugaya and Princess Hinamori!"_

* * *

"Ouch!" Toshiro yelled out loud. He then turned his attention to the doctor who is tending to his injuries. "Unohana, can you please be a little gentler with the bandaging?"

Without any warning, his gut feeling started telling him to heed the woman's next words. It is like he is looking at someone with a murderous intent to kill him. "I'm sorry Hitsugaya, but it can't be helped," she replied. "Besides, this is what happens when you run off on your own when you're supposed to be in bed resting until you have fully recovered."

He let out a gulp. "Y-Y-Yes ma'am, I-I won't runaway like that again."

She then turned her attention to the raven haired girl, who is sitting on the mat beside him.

"As for you Hinamori, don't go around and do anymore reckless things. You could have been killed out there today."

"H-Hai Unohana-san," Momo hesitantly replied. "I-I won't do it again."

All of a sudden, she leaned close to her face. At the same time, Hinamori straightened her posture. "Are you sure?"

"Y-Yes, I am certain!"

As if an evil spirit has been exorcised, Retsu let out a bright smile. "Good, I'm glad we have a clear understanding with one another."

The two lovers nodded with agreement. "Y-Yes ma'am..."

After she finished bandaging Toshiro's injuries, Unohana said, "Both your treatments have been done. If you experience any complications, please inform me as soon as possible."

"Hai arigato, Unohana-san," Hinamori said.

With a short nod, she left the two lovers alone to tend to the other injured guards. Momo suddenly let out a relieved sigh. "No matter how many years have passed, I never have the confidence to go against Unohana-san's decisions."

"Tell me about it," Hitsugaya replied. "Even I'm a little intimidated by her."

There is a brief pause. "Hey Toshiro, how are you feeling?"

"My injuries hurt, but I'll live. Why did you ask?"

"Oh nothing, I'm just wondering..."

The Royal Guard Captain placed a hand on her shoulder, getting her attention. With a faint smile on his face, he said, "I'm going to be alright, Momo. Nothing bad is going to happen to me."

Hinamori smiled back. "I know; I just want a little...reassurance, that's all."

He then leaned over and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "How is that for reassurance?"

Momo grinned. "Oh, you silly thief..."

She wrapped her arms around his neck while he placed her hands on her waist. Just as they are about to kiss, they both jerked back. They turned their bodies to the side and winced in pain. "Ouch, who would have thought that having injuries would be such a nuisance?"

"Y-Yes, I have to agree."

Once the pain subsided, the two lovers resumed their attention to one another. They placed their hands together and looked into each other's eyes. "Okay, let's try it again."

Hinamori slowly nodded. Gently, Toshiro placed a hand on her cheek. Like two magnets of opposite poles, the young lovers closed the distance between one another. Once they are a mere seconds away, they closed their eyes and finally joined their lips together. During their make out session, Hitsugaya wrapped his arms around Momo with one hand placed on her hip while the other is on her back. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Hinamori draped her arms over his shoulders before she went back to concentrating on kissing her boyfriend.

Hitsugaya suddenly started moaning. "Mm, Momo..."

"Toshiro..."

"Aww, what a nice sight we're seeing," said a voice. Suddenly, the two lovers froze. They turned their heads to see their friends standing on the side with large grins on their faces. Momo turned pink while Toshiro shot icy glares at them. "If we weren't around and you were locked in a room, I bet you two are horny enough to have se-"

"Uruse Matsumoto, stay out of our personal lives!" Hitsugaya snapped.

"Hai hai, whatever you say..."

Hinamori's face turned a few shades darker. "Mou Rangiku-san..."

"Once we get back to the Hinamori Palace, there will be a stack of paperwork for you sitting on your desk," the white haired captain said.

"Eh, that's no fair! How come I have to be the only one who has to work?" the strawberry orange haired woman complained. "What about everyone else? They're just as injured as I am!"

"They all get to rest because they finished their paperwork before I even got a chance to tell them to. You, on the other hand, avoided your duties so that you can leisurely drink sake in your room."

Rangiku folded her arms over her chest. "You're so stingy! You were never like this back in the good old days when we were still living in Rukongai."

"If you were a little more responsible, then I would have never been this _stingy_ in the first place!"

"Now, settle down you two," Gin said, standing in between the two old friends. "There's no point in starting a fight. Besides, we should be celebrating the happy times to come."

Hitsugaya let out a low growl before turning his head to the side and letting out a hiss. The Trio Knights let out defeated sighs while Momo and Ume looked at one another. Faint smiles then crept up on their faces. "Anyway, have all the Higashi Guards been dealt with yet?" Toshiro asked upon changing the subject.

"Yep, the guards, who gave us their utmost co-operation, are let off the hook. As for the others, they are going to be sent to jail. As we speak, Kyoraku and Ukitake are sending a handful of them back to the palace."

"I see."

"Are you sure it's okay to let the co-operative ones go?" Hisagi asked. "What if they're lying and decide to attack us again in the future?"

"My my Shuhei, after being in the Royal Guard for a couple of years, you still don't know how we do things around here?" Ichimaru questioned. "If they decide to attack us again, we just have to kick their asses again."

He then turned his attention to the younger captain.

"Am I correct, Hitsugaya-kun?"

Toshiro then shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose so..."

"I hate to burst your bubble, but I have to agree with Hisagi-san," Izuru asked. "What if they decide to attack us now? Right now, everyone is recovering from their previous battle."

"You do have a point, but you can't reason with them," Matsumoto said, "Ichimaru finds fighting a thrill while Hitsugaya is used to fighting at inconvenient times. They're used to it."

"Come to think of it, you are usually ready to fight at any moment as well," Hisagi pointed out.

"Really? You think so?"

He nodded with agreement. "Yeah."

Kira said, "I'm starting to think it's a Rukongai thing..."

"That's probably it."

"Anyway, it seems like Unohana-san and the medical team are just about done treating everyone," Rangiku said. "We should get ready to head back to the palace."

"Someone's excited to go home," Renji commented.

"Of course I'm excited, I've said it before." She pointed a finger up. While revealing a bright smile, she said, "Once we get back, I have to start making plans for the wedding!"

"You're _not_ planning the wedding, Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya snapped. "It's too early to even think about it! We need to rebuild the palace, help the people who are in need, honour the deaths of our fallen comrades and...There are too many things to do! Even if the wedding were to happen right away, I'm not letting you to be my wedding plann-"

All of a sudden, he arched over and wrapped his arms around his stomach.

"Itte!"

Concerned for his health, Hinamori placed a hand on his shoulder and asked, "Toshiro, are you okay?"

Giving her a short glance, he replied, "I-I'm okay..."

"Taicho, you shouldn't get so worked up," Rangiku suggested. "You're going to reopen your wounds."

Little did she realize, everyone is giving her a stern look. On the other hand, Ichimaru let out a smiling grin. "Enough with all the chit-chat, everyone!" he said. "Now it's time to start packing our stuff. We have quite a bit of ground to cover before we make it back to the palace."

"Yes sir!"

As the Trio Knights, Matsumoto, and Ichimaru went to start gathering their belongings, Hitsugaya slowly stood up from his seat. Knowing that Hinamori is close by, he gave her a nod, mentally saying that he's alright to walk on his own. Just as he took a step forward, he lost his balance. Immediately, the peach girl ran to his side and quickly draped his arm over her shoulder so that he wouldn't fall. "T-Thanks Momo..."

She smiled. "It's no problem."

Hinamori then turned her attention to her cousin. "Ume, you're welcomed to stay with us even if it's for a bit."

"A-Are you sure, Momo-chan?" Princess Higashi asked.

The Princess of Seireitei nodded with agreement. "Yes, I'm sure of it."

She turned to Hitsugaya.

"You don't mind, right?"

He shook his head and replied, "I don't mind at all."

Ume cracked a smile. "Thank you Hitsugaya-taicho and Momo-chan for your hospitality. I'll be happy to stay with you for the time being."

"You're welcome," Momo replied.

With that said, the three friends walked together, catching up to the rest of their allies. Not too long after, they will start their journey back to the sacred land of Seireitei and Rukongai where the preparations of a new beginning are already taking place.

* * *

**References**

_**Hai **_- Yes, _**Arigato**_ - Thank You, _**Itte**_ - Ouch, _**Taicho**_ - Captain

* * *

**Author's Note:** This story is about to wrap up! All it needs is the moment you've been waiting for! That's right; Toshiro's and Momo's wedding! So, stay tuned for the _final_ chapter of The Next Greatest Treasure. In the meantime, please review! Thanks.


	25. Crowned Majesties

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Bleach in any way! All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**Author's Note****: **OMG, after twenty-five updates of this story, we're finally at the end. Special thanks goes to my wonderful reviewers: **tlg, anime16, icyangel27, satomika, Yellow. Sunshineeh, KnowledgeandImagination, becomeafan, applestoapples, **and **vampireacademygirls** for your feedback! They're greatly appreciated!**  
**

Message to **applestoapples**: Yes, I know that the prequel and this story each has twenty-five chapters. I did that on purpose to show that the two stories are related to one another. Don't worry about the GinRan part; there is going to be a section about them. Of course, I can't forget to add the HitsuHina love too. xD Thanks for your review!

Anyway, enough with me yapping, it's time to read the final installment to The Next Greatest Treasure. Enjoy!

* * *

**LEGEND**

"Talking."_ "Thinking."  
_

* * *

**The Next Greatest Treasure**

**Chapter Twenty-Five:** Crowned Majesties

Five months have passed by since the war at the border of Seireitei and Rukongai ended. With everyone's co-operation, they have worked hard to rebuild everything that was lost or damaged. At the same time, many friendships were fostered while crime rates were demoted. In the end, everyone is happy.

Hitsugaya is in Rukongai's cemetery, standing in front of a gravestone with his head tilted forward and his hands placed together. Once his prayer is done, he opened his eyes and raised his head. _"Obaa-san..."_

It has been a while since he last visited his deceased relative because there were so many things going on over the past year. Even now, he barely has enough time to the things he wanted to do. Time just flies by. Making leisure time like this is difficult and it is going to remain that way for the next couple of months.

"Ah, there he is!" exclaimed a voice. "Onii-chan!"

Toshiro then turned his attention to the group of two boys and two girls running up to him. "What's wrong, you guys?"

"You have to run back to the palace!" the first girl replied. "Rangiku-nee-chan has been looking all over for you!"

The white haired captain then folded his arms over his chest. "Really now?"

"Yeah, you better hurry up!" said one of the boys.

"If you don't come back to the palace on time, you're going to miss the wedding!" exclaimed the second girl.

Suddenly, he let out a smirk. Placing a hand on his hip, Toshiro replied, "What are you talking about? There is no way I could miss the wedding; It can't start without me."

"Why is that, Onii-chan?" the second boy asked.

Walking up to the child, he placed a hand on his head. The boy raised his head to see the smiling face of the former Rukongai Citizen. "I'm Momo's groom, remember?"

"Oh yeah, you're going to be King!"

"...And Momo-nee-chan is going to be Queen!" the first girl added.

Hitsugaya nodded with agreement. "You got that right."

"Once you're King, will we be able to see you dress up as Aisu no Ryu again?" the second boy asked.

"I don't think so. There is no need to hide my identity anymore nor there is a need to steal from the wealthy class people."

"What if Momo-nee-chan gets kidnapped again?"

There is a short pause. "I'll put that into consideration."

Then, the girls started pulling on his sleeves. "Hurry back to the palace, Onii-chan! I can see people from far away countries have just arrived at the gate!"

Toshiro chuckled. "Okay okay, I'll get moving. You all will be watching us, right?"

With bright smiles on their faces, they all said in unison, "Hai!"

"Alright then, see you soon."

"Bye Onii-chan!"

After waving his good bye, the white haired teenager then turned his attention to his next destination. Noticing a flat board leaning diagonally against the wall, Hitsugaya ran on top of it. Just as he is about to reach its end, Toshiro raised his hands up high and did a cartwheel to the top of the roof. Once he landed safely, he took a glance at the scenery. "Hn, they're right," he said. "A lot of people are already here."

He let out a sigh.

"Oh well, I guess it can't be helped."

Placing his hands on his sides, he draped his hood over his head so no one from the outside recognizes him. He then started jumping from building to building, getting back to the palace as quickly as possible and without having to be caught by anyone.

_

* * *

_

After making his way past the people and his subordinates, Toshiro entered back into the Hinamori Palace from the window. He turned around and closed it shut, leaving no trace that he left in the first place. Once he turned around, he saw the strawberry orange haired woman leaning against the door with her arms crossed over her chest and glaring at him. Walking over to the soon-to-be King, she began scolding him. "Where the hell were you, Hitsugaya?"

"I was at Rukongai," he simply answered while taking off his black hooded cloak. "I had an errand to do."

"Can't you do it some other day? You do know that you're getting married in a matter of hours, right?"

"Yeah, so what about it?"

She then gave him a stern look. "I feel like punching you right now."

Hitsugaya walked a few steps before tossing his cloak on the nearby chair. While he is doing a few arm stretches, he walked towards the washroom.

"Anyway, just get cleaned up and get ready for the ceremony."

He extended a hand out and lazily waved. "Whatever you say, Matsumoto."

Once he left the room, Rangiku folded her arms over her chest and let out a defeated sigh. "His attitude is definitely not matching the atmosphere. Can't he just act a little stressed out?"

* * *

Meanwhile, in Hinamori's bedroom, the bride has already cleaned up and dressed in her wedding robes. Sitting on a chair, she waited for her maids to finish working on her hairstyle. She let out a sigh.

"Are you alright, Momo-chan?"

Turning her attention to her cousin, she replied, "It feels like a dream; I can't believe this day is happening!"

Ume smiled, feeling happy for her relative. In a few hours, she is going to be wedded to her fiancé. Just as she is about to say something, there is a knock on the door.

After turning their heads to the side, Hinamori called out, "You can come in!"

The door opened to reveal the strawberry orange haired swordsman.

"Rangiku-san."

Matsumoto closed the door behind her, walked up to the two girls, and said, "After so long, we finally found him!"

"Found who?" Princess Higashi asked.

"Hitsugaya, of course! Early in the morning, before any of us has woken up, he sneaked out of the palace just to do some errand in Rukongai! He's supposed to be worried about the wedding!"

"Don't worry about it so much," Momo replied. "At least, he's back now."

She gave the younger girl a stern look. "I was expecting you to flip out, but you are not."

"Well, that's because I knew where he went. He went to say his prayers and tell some news to Obaa-san."

"His grandmother?" Higashi asked.

Matsumoto folded her arms over her chest and let out a defeated sigh. After shaking her head from side to side, she said, "That guy, he hasn't changed one bit..."

Hinamori smiled. "He sure hasn't."

"What do you guys mean by that?" Ume asked.

"Aside from his love for his girlfriend, Hitsugaya loved his family," Matsumoto explained. "Unfortunately, due to earlier events in the past year, he lost his last living relative."

"Oh, I'm sorry...for bringing it up."

"Daijobou, that was a while ago. By now, he should have gotten over it. Besides, he has better things to worry about now like practicing over his wedding vows."

"I-I see."

She turned to the Princess of Seireitei. "Do you know what to say for yours, Hinamori?"

The peach girl nodded with agreement. "We rehearsed it many times already. I'm sure we're going to be fine."

"You're quite relaxed."

Momo hesitantly laughed. "I don't know about that. I'm actually quite excited yet nervous at the same time."

"I suppose that's expected. You're getting hitched and crowned in front of a large crowd."

During this time, the maids have completed putting the finishing touches to the princess's hairstyle. After exchanging a few words, Momo dismissed them so that she can be alone with her friends, Rangiku and Ume. "Tell me about it..."

* * *

Ichimaru and Kira knocked and entered the young captain's quarters to see how he's doing. When they got a good look at the white haired teenager, they saw that he is already formally dressed in his attire and is ready to go. "Yo Hitsugaya-kun," Gin greeted. "How are you holding up?"

Hearing the other captain's voice, Toshiro turned his body to the side to see them. "Other than feeling a bit stiff of having to wear this outfit, I suppose I'm doing alright."

"Nervous?"

"Am I supposed to be?"

"Probably..." He suddenly let out a grin. "...because there is a chance that you might mess up."

Hitsugaya merely shrugged his shoulders. "We'll see if it happens or not."

"Well, there is only about an hour left until the ceremony starts," Kira said.

The white haired captain let out a sigh. "An hour, huh?"

"What? Are you feeling sad over the fact that you won't be a bachelor anymore within a few hours?" Gin asked. "You know, we could still help you get out of it."

"Ha ha, very funny Ichimaru," Toshiro exaggerated. "I have no intention of going back on my word to Momo."

"Aww, you're so loyal to your girl."

"Shut up..."

Just then the bedroom doors suddenly slammed opened. After running inside and closing the door shut, Renji and Shuhei leaned against it while catching their breaths. "Man, it's crazy outside of the palace walls," Abarai said.

"No kidding," Hisagi agreed. "It's hard to walk in and out of the palace without having to bump into some familiar faces."

"Yo Shuhei, Izuru, how nice of you two to drop by," Ichimaru said.

With a few sighs of relief, the two Trio Knights walked over to the other three teenagers. "We should all head over to the front entrance right now and wait for the ceremony to start."

With a wide smile on his face, Gin turned to the other captain of the Royal Guard. "Well, are you ready to go?"

Hitsugaya then nodded with agreement. "Let's get going."

* * *

Momo tightened her grip on her bouquet of flowers while letting out a gulp. "Calm down Hinamori, there's nothing to be so nervous about," Matsumoto encouraged. "Besides, you're only going to be reunited with your soon-to-be husband."

"Yeah, but I'm starting to get worried about my appearance. He might not like it."

"Nonsense, you look beautiful. If he were to see you right now, he would say the exact same thing."

"I-I don't know..."

The older woman folded her arms over her chest and looked at Hinamori's cousin. They both soon let out defeated sighs. Figuring out that she needs a bit of reassurance, without any warning, the female swordsman slapped her on the back causing the bride to yelp.

"Ow!" she exclaimed. "Rangiku-san, what was that about?"

With a thumb up and a smile on her face, the strawberry orange haired woman replied, "What are you standing here for? Go out there and show Hitsugaya the lovely bride you have become!"

"Mou..."

All of a sudden, Higashi began pushing the girl towards the door. "Come on Momo-chan, hurry up!"

"B-B-But Ume...I-I'm not ready!"

From the next room, the males turned their heads to the side to hear some voices. "It must be Matsumoto-san and the others," Kira said. "They have finally arrived."

"Yeah, but what is taking them so long?" Renji asked.

"Hinamori-chan must be nervous," Ichimaru said.

"What is there for her to be nervous about?" Hisagi questioned.

The gray haired captain then turned his attention to the white haired captain, who is eagerly anticipating Momo's arrival. They haven't seen one another since last night. _"She's coming through those doors at any moment..."_

Without any warning, he felt a hand placed on his shoulder. During this time, Hinamori and the other girls entered the room only to see the scene unfold in front of their eyes. As a reflex reaction, Toshiro grabbed the arm and did a forward overhead throw, sending the person flying. By the time he realized it, Renji is down on the ground on his back. "My my, it seems like Hinamori-chan isn't the only one whose nervous," Gin stated with an amused grin.

"Oi Abarai-kun, are you alright?" Izuru asked after he and Hisagi ran to his aid.

After he sat up, the red headed Trio Knight placed a hand on his back and questioned, "Ow, what the hell was that for Hitsugaya-taicho?"

"Ehrm sorry," Toshiro apologized. "I didn't mean for that to happen."

All of a sudden, they heard someone burst out with laughter. They turned their heads to see the culprit is none other than Matsumoto. "Oh boy, that was funny!" she exclaimed. "Even after a whole year has passed by, you still get flipped by Hitsugaya's overhead throw!"

"S-Shut up Rangiku-san, I wasn't expecting him to do that!" Renji snapped. "He did that stunt from out of the blue!"

"Well, you know what that means," Ichimaru said. "You still have a long way to go before you'll be able to surpass us."

Abarai then folded his arms over his chest. "You don't have to rub it in, Ichimaru-taicho."

"Are you going to be alright, Abarai-kun?" Hinamori asked out of concern.

"Don't worry; I'm okay. It's nothing serious."

"O-Okay..."

"Well, thanks to the entertainment performance, you're not nervous anymore," Ume said.

Toshiro and Momo looked at one another for a moment. Soon, smiles were brought to their faces. After they joined hands with one another, they resumed their attention to the ex-thief, Hi no Tori. "I suppose you're right about that," Hinamori said.

Then, Matsumoto began to nudge her white haired friend on the shoulder. With an amused grin on her face, she asked, "Well Hitsugaya, do you have something to say to your beloved sweetheart?"

He then turned his attention to his girlfriend. Feeling his cheeks heating up, Toshiro shyly turned his eyes away from Momo. He quietly said, "Y-You look very beautiful, Momo."

The peach girl blushed and let out a timid smile. "Thank you, Toshiro. You look quite...handsome yourself."

"Aw, isn't that just adorable?" Rangiku asked.

All of a sudden, Hitsugaya glared at the strawberry orange haired woman. "Matsumoto..."

Raising her hands up in mock stance, she replied, "Okay okay, I'll stop teasing the both of you and head over to my post!"

"Good."

He then turned his attention to the others. "And that includes the rest of you, Abarai, Kira, Hisagi...and yes, Ichimaru, you too."

"You're so strict, Hitsugaya-taicho..." Gin commented.

As the Trio Knights, Ichimaru, and Matsumoto left the others alone, Ume placed a fist over her mouth and giggled. "Well, I'll be taking my seat in the front," she said. "I'll see you guys outside."

"Okay," Momo said. "See you..."

While she is walking away, the two fated lovers saw the other princess put up a guts pose. "I can't wait to crown them King and Queen!"

Soon enough, the two lovers are left in the room on their own. Letting out a sigh, the heirs to the throne took their seats on the bench. For the next few moments, silence filled the room. Neither of them really knew what to say in this situation. "So...um...it's almost time for the ceremony to start," Hinamori said awkwardly.

Hitsugaya slowly nodded with agreement. "Y-Yeah..."

There is a silent pause.

"I know there's nothing to worry about, but for some reason, the pressure has finally gotten to me. Us getting married and crowned in front of a large crowd is a big deal."

"Yeah, I know." The grip on their hands, which are joined together with one another, tightened. "It's not long now until the ceremony starts."

"...Yeah."

All of a sudden, one of the large doors began to open. On the other side of it is the pastor. "Hitsugaya-taicho, Hinamori-hime, are you two ready?"

The two lovers nodded with agreement and stood up. As they walked towards the large doors, Toshiro took a deep breath and sighed. "Well, here it goes."

"Yeah, the ceremony starts from here on out," Momo said.

With short bows from the guards, they opened the large doors for the pastor and the young lovers to walk through. By the time they came out, they were openly welcomed with cheers and whistling.

"S-Sugoi," Hinamori said. "Who would have thought so many people would attend the wedding?"

"It can't be helped," Toshiro replied. "Besides, we're not only going to get married. We're going to be crowned as the new rulers of this kingdom."

Following the pastor, they walked down the ale. As they approached the chapel, they took quick glances at the audience. Spotting a familiar face, the princess nudged her boyfriend to get him to see what she is looking at. Somewhere in the crowd is Kyoraku Shunsui, Ukitake Jushiro, Urahara Kisuke, and Shihoin Yoruichi. "Well, isn't that a beautiful sight?" Yoruichi asked after placing her hands on her hips. "They're finally getting hitched, isn't that right Kisuke?"

Urahara opened up his fan and started fanning himself. "Yes, I do have to agree."

She then let out a sigh. "Oh the youth these days; it makes us feel like old hags here!"

Without any warning, Shunsui let out a yell. Soon, heads turned to the straw hat man. Ukitake asked, "W-What's wrong, Kyoraku?"

"Do you know what this means?" he asked. "They have gotten way ahead of us! Think about it, the little chibi used to be like us a year ago. Then, he picked a beautiful girlfriend and now, he's getting married to her! It's only a matter of time before they start raising a family!"

"Yeah, that's what usually happens if their relationship goes well," Jushiro said.

All of a sudden, he grabbed the collar of his friend's kimono and pulled the white haired man towards him. "This is cruel; are we fated to be bachelors forever?"

"I-I really don't know, Kyoraku."

"What in the world is he talking about?" Urahara asked.

Yoruichi shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows...I think he needs a good jug of sake right now."

"Hn, probably..."

"Hitsugaya Toshiro, do you take Hinamori Momo as your lawfully wedded wife?" the pastor asked.

Hitsugaya nodded with agreement. "Yes, I do."

Turning to the raven haired girl, he asked the same question. "Hinamori Momo, do you take Hitsugaya Toshiro to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

The princess let out a smile and nodded. "Yes, I do."

As they are putting on each others' rings, Matsumoto wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. "My Ran-chan, I can't help but wonder what kind of reaction you're going to make when you get married," said a voice.

Recognizing Ichimaru's voice, she shot a glare at him. "When the time comes, I'll make sure not to invite you."

"Aw, you're so mean..."

"Ano Matsumoto-san, can you at least pipe down a bit?" Kira asked. "What if they heard us?"

"Do you really think they could?" she asked. "They're too busy looking into each other's eyes and act all lovey-dovey."

He let out a defeated sigh.

"Ou, here comes the good part!"

"...and now, you may kiss the bride," the pastor said.

It moments later, people starting clapping and cheering for them. However, they weren't listening at all. Hitsugaya and Hinamori were too busy pressing their lips together and sharing their first kiss as a wedded couple.

By the time they broke apart, happy smiles crept up on their faces. All of a sudden, they heard someone clearing his or her throat. When they turned their heads, they saw Princess Higashi standing at their side. She asked, "Shall we get started on the coronation?"

They nodded with agreement and turned their bodies to face her. Once the crowd has settle down, Ume began her speech.

"Today is a memorable day which only happens once in every generation. Today, this kingdom will have a new pair of rulers. Over the past few months, these two people fought with great bravery, kindness, and love for themselves, the people, and the kingdom they wished to protect."

She then turned her attention to the two crown bearers standing on the side. After gesturing them to step forward, they presented two glittering gold crowns to her. Taking hold of one of the crowns, Princess Higashi resumed her attention to the young couple. With a smile on her face, she told Hitsugaya and Hinamori to kneel down. Placing the crown above Toshiro's head, Ume spoke.

"I, Princess Higashi Ume, crown you, Hitsugaya Toshiro, King of Seireitei and Rukongai."

Hitsugaya lowered his head so that she can carefully set it on his head. After a few moments, she took the second crown and held it above Momo's head.

"I also crown you, Hinamori Momo, Queen of Seireitei and Rukongai."

Carefully, she did the same. Then, she took a few steps back, giving them room to stand up. With a glimpse at one another, Toshiro and Momo turned around to face the large crowd.

With her hands held out on each side, Ume declared, "Here, I present to you the new rulers of this kingdom!"

All of a sudden, the area is soon filled with great applause and cheer.

* * *

"Oi Hinamori, throw the bouquet!" Matsumoto exclaimed while fighting through the crowd of women in the crowd. "Ouch, watch where you're stepping!"

"I want the bouquet!" Shunsui said.

All of a sudden, Rangiku elbowed him in the gut, causing the straw hat man to arch over and clutch his stomach. "Sorry Kyoraku, but the bouquet catching is only for the bachelorettes."

"No fair..."

Holding onto her hand, Toshiro helped his wife stand on the edge of the fountain. By the time she is able to manage on her own, Momo let go of him and turned her attention to the nearby group of gathered women. With a bright smile on her face, she turned around and threw the bouquet over her head.

At that moment, women frantically jumped into the air, trying to reach for the flowers. However, it is too high for them to catch. Seeing that it is within her reach, Matsumoto extended a hand out. "I got it! I got it!"

Just as she is about to catch it, somebody else beat her to it first. Single-handedly, Captain Ichimaru has caught Momo's bouquet.

"Oi baka, what the hell was that for?" the strawberry orange haired woman complained. "You're not supposed to be here!"

All of a sudden, he held the pretty decoration out to her. "Here you go."

Surprised by his actions, the childhood friend looked down at the flowers and then raised her head up to see the Royal Guard Captain. "Eh?"

He let out a smile on his face. "It's for you, Rangiku."

All of a sudden, she let out a blush. Quickly realizing what is happening; she snatched the bouquet away and turned her body away from the older teenager. "Just because you did something sweet like that, it doesn't mean I'll be sweet to you, Gin!"

As she walked off, Ichimaru turned his body and watched her every movement. With the smile still on his face, he said, "Hai hai, I completely understand."

Taking hold of her hand once more, Hitsugaya assisted Hinamori to jump back down onto the ground safely. Turning their attention to see what Ichimaru and Matsumoto are doing, Momo said, "Those two...they're quite stubborn."

"Yeah, they are," Toshiro agreed, "but I get the feeling that those two lovebirds are going to get married within the next year or two."

The young Queen let out a giggle. "I think so too."

Then, she noticed her cousin walking by.

Wanting to have a chat with her, Momo raised her hand out and waved to her. "Oi Ume!"

"Oh hey Ou-sama, Oujou-sama!" she replied.

Without any warning, the wedded couple snorted. "Ou-sama? Oujou-sama?" Hinamori asked. "Ume, there's no need to call us that. It makes us sound so old."

"Momo's right," Toshiro agreed. "We're only sixteen."

Princess Higashi placed a hand over her mouth and let out a suppressed giggle. "Alright, I'll address you by your names."

"Thank you for helping us make this day a success," Momo said.

"No problem Hinamori."

"So, what are you planning to do now? Are you going back to the Higashi Region and restoring the kingdom?"

The young princess shook her head.

"Oh, are you sure about that?"

She nodded. "I'm fine with it; besides, the people deserved their freedom after what my mother has done to them."

"I see."

There is a moment of silence.

"I think I will go out on a journey to the many lands and the people that are out there. During that time, I will help those who are in need."

"That's good to hear," Hitsugaya said. "There's nothing wrong with traveling around the world."

Ume smiled. "When I come back, I better see you two still ruling this kingdom. The last thing I want is for you two to be kicked off your thrones."

"We'll do our best," Momo said.

Higashi then folded her hands over her chest. After placing a finger on her chin, she began to wonder. "Hn..."

"What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing, I'm just imagining what your child is going to look like when I come by to visit in a few years."

All of a sudden, Toshiro and Momo turned red faced. "W-What?"

"Oi Higashi-hime," Hitsugaya said, "the future is not certain if we're actually going to have any children."

Ume giggled. "Anyway, I'm going to look forward to the day we meet again."

"Eh, you're going now?" Hinamori asked. "Can't you stay a little longer?"

"I'm sorry, but there are so many places to explore and many people that needs my help!" She ran towards the palace gate entrance, stopped, and turned around. After giving them a large wave, she exclaimed, "I'll see you again someday, Hitsugaya and Momo-chan!"

"Bye Ume," Momo said after giving her a short good bye. After a few moments, the Princess of the Higashi Region is out of their sights.

The young Queen let out a sigh. Hitsugaya asked, "Are you alright, Momo?"

"I'm going to miss her."

"She'll be alright. Besides, she did say she will come back and visit us someday."

She cracked a small smile. "I suppose you're right."

"Yo Hinamori, Hitsugaya-taicho, what are you two standing there for?" called out a voice. "Come and join us!"

The crowned majesties turned their heads to see the Trio Knights ushering them over. Joining Kira, Abarai, and Hisagi, Momo asked, "Are you guys enjoying the party?"

"Of course we are having fun," Renji replied. "You two, on the other hand, need to loosen up. Why don't you guys have a drink or something?"

"Sorry, but I think I'll stick to the punch."

"Same here," Hitsugaya replied. "I had a bad experience with sake. I don't want to feel that way again."

"Oh..."

"Speaking of sake, where's Rangiku?" Hisagi questioned.

The teenagers began looking around. "You're right, I don't see her anywhere," Kira said.

"She's not the only one we're not seeing," Shuhei added. "I don't see Ichimaru-taicho either."

"Where do you think they could be?"

"Who knows..."

"Toshiro and I will go look for them," Momo suggested.

"Are you sure?" Izuru asked. "We don't mind searching for them ourselves."

The Queen shook her head. "Daijobou, we could use some fresh air after hanging around here for so long."

"Okay then, see you two later."

"See you."

"Ja ne," Hitsugaya said.

With that said, the King and Queen retreated inside the palace to search for their missing friends. "Where could they be?" Momo wondered.

"The thing that comes to my mind is that Matsumoto has already gotten drunk and is throwing up in the washroom," Toshiro said. "Of course, she wouldn't have been able to do that without Ichimaru's assistance."

Just as they walked by the throne room, something caught Hitsugaya's eye. He stopped and took a few steps back to take a peek inside. "What's wrong?"

"Remember the lovebird comment I said about Matsumoto and Ichimaru," Hitsugaya asked.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"I take my words back. They're going to get married a lot sooner than I anticipated."

"Eh really?"

He turned to her attention and nodded with agreement. He whispered, "Yeah, take a look what's happening in there."

Listening to her husband's suggestion, Hinamori bent over and look at what is happening inside the next room. Standing in the middle of the room are Ichimaru and Matsumoto, placing their hands on each other's waists and sharing a loving kiss. Momo cracked a smile and turned to Toshiro. "I can see what you mean."

"Yeah, let's...leave them alone for a bit."

She nodded. "Hai."

After leaving the two childhood friends alone, they wedded couple walked through the palace hallway.

"It's a dream come true. We both got everything we ever wanted."

They stopped and turned face to face. Hitsugaya wrapped his arms around his lover and pulled her close. He gave her a short kiss on the lips and replied, "It's just like what I said a few months ago, right?"

Hinamori rested her forehead on his chest placed her hands on his hips. "Yeah, this is our next greatest treasure."

Hitsugaya smiled. "You got that right."

For the next few moments, they spent the time cuddling. "I'm happy I got married to you."

"Same here. I love you, Momo."

"I love you too, Toshiro."

With that said, they shared a loving kiss.

_**~ OWARI ~**_

* * *

**References**

_**Obaa-san**_ - Grandmother, _**Onii-chan**_ - Older Brother/Older person (male), _**Nee-chan**_ - Older Sister/Older person (female), _**Aisu no Ryu**_ - Ice Dragon; Hitsugaya's codename as the notorious thief of Rukongai, _**Hai**_ - Yes, _**Daijobou**_ - It's Alright, _**Hi no Tori**_ - Fire Bird; Princess Ume's codename as the thief of the Higashi Region, _**Taicho**_ - Captain, _**Hime**_ - Princess,_** Sugoi - **_Amazing, _**Chibi**_ - Short Person, _**Baka**_ - Idiot/Stupid, _**Ou**_ - King, _**Oujou**_ - Queen, _**Ja ne**_ - Good Bye (informal/casual), **_Owari _**- The End

* * *

**Author's Note:** OMG, it's finally the end of the story and it only took me about seven months to finish! O.o Anyway, before I talk about my future plans, I have a long list of reviewers to thank. _*takes out scroll, unrolls it, and clears voice*_ Here it goes: I would like to personally thank **tlg, superattackpea **_aka _**Samantha, NeonCookies O.o, ChrysanthemumPetals, AIG -d e a d, MoonLightView, icyangel27, RebelAngel91210, satomika, KnowledgeandImagination, cool, Neko-cheung, iamkiley, becomeafan, lil'sayuri-chan, applestoapples, chococat450, serenity095, SMILES208, Kaye. Shirogane, DestinedDuelist893, athfdrizzle,** _*takes a deep breath* _**Lil'EyeCandy, talkstoangels77, pinkbuddy36, HyourinmaruIce, Koneko144, bengara-koushi, livebankaishowcode002, strawberriespeaches, girlslikeboys, redpandagirl, WhitePrincessOfHope, anime16, maili-chan, k a y - t h i **_aka_** Smil3h, HoneyFlower15, BLEACHISAWESOMEANDIMAWESOME XP, sweet miracle 'michu 17', **_*takes another deep breath*_** justhewayouare, prettykat, OMG an update xD, fluffly, sasuhina vs. hitsuhina, cause I'm cool like that, Hitsuhina addict, immasurvivor, ironmaiden, teenage dream, m, livebankaishowcode003, Filipino and proud, i wanna be inside your heaven, Ziya Hitsugaya, vampireacademygirls, m0m0-hImE, sakurarules233, **_*takes yet another deep breath*_ **Yellow. Sunshin3h **_aka _**Yellow. Sunshineeh, **and **fdgvdstrt **for your awesome support!

Now, onto the next part: future plans. Personally, I don't think I'll be writing a sequel to The Next Greatest Treasure because I feel the story is as complete as it is. The only exception to that rule is if I am able to come up with a good storyline that could either top this one or come up with an alternate version of the original story.

In the meantime, I'll be doing my best to finish Forget Me Not as soon as possible before I start posting my next HitsuHina fanfic which is the sequel to a previously written story a few of you have already read. Can you guess which story it is? Well, you just have to stay tuned to my profile and find out then!

...

...

...

I'm just kidding! I won't leave you hanging like that. The HitsuHina story I'm going to start posting is the next part of the Secrets Untold series, Secrets Retold. _*OMG, you're serious?*_ Yes, you read it correctly! After fulfilling **sweet miracle 'michu 17'**'s request, I have come up with a good storyline to continue the series. Yay! What is it about? Well, why don't you read the synopsis below?

**Secret Retold Synopsis**: Shia Hitsugaya lived a happy life until two important events happened: the break out of a rare disease in Soul Society and the coming new family member, her sibling.

Yeah, the summary seems to imply the story will focus more on my original character, but it won't necessarily be so. Toshiro and Momo have their important roles to fulfill in the story as well (like showing some HitsuHina love). xD

Anyway, please review with your final comments and I'll be back soon with the new story. Laterz!

_**~ LONG LIVE THE HITSUHINA LOVE! ~**_


End file.
